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Mr. Jack : Since the scheme was introduced by the United Kingdom Fisheries Departments in January 1992 six reports of incidental catches have been received. These involved five common porpoises, three common seals, one grey seal and one common dolphin. Two of the common seals and the dolphin survived and were released. The scheme has not been successful as returns clearly fall short of the number of strandings from all sources recorded by the Department of the Environment's marine strandings co- ordinators. The scheme is currently being reconsidered.
Weeds Act 1959
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans she has for the future of the Weeds Act 1959 ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Jack : After careful consideration by Agriculture Ministers of responses to consultations on the future of the Weeds Act we have decided to retain it. This was announced on 11 October by my noble Friend the Earl Howe.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Customs Searches
Mr. McFall : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what records are kept on the ethnicity of persons entering the United Kingdom who are stopped and searched by Customs and Excise officials.
Sir John Cope : HM Customs and Excise record the ethnic grouping of persons who, on entry to the United Kingdom, are selected for search of their person.
Reading Material
Rev. William McCrea : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans the Government have to impose VAT on reading material in the Province.
Sir John Cope : It would be inappropriate for me to comment in advance of the Budget statement.
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Income Tax
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 2 April, Official Report, column 479, what is his most recent estimate of the number of taxpayers with gross and taxable incomes within specific income bands.
Mr. Dorrell : Latest estimates for 1993-94 are given in the table.
Thousands
Number of
taxpayers by range
of
|Gross income<1> |Taxable income<2>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Under 5,000 |2,100 |8,200
5,000 to 10,000 |7,800 |6,800
10,000 to 15,000 |6,100 |4,400
15,000 to 20,000 |3,900 |2,400
20,000 to 25,000 |2,000 |1,200
25,000 to 30,000 |1,100 |630
30,000 to 40,000 |940 |590
40,000 to 50,000 |340 |210
50,000 to 70,000 |250 |180
70,000 to 80,000 |60 |40
over 80,000 |170 |140
Total taxpayers |24,800 |24,800
<1>Gross income is defined as total income for income tax purposes. It
excludes income from certain social security benefits and some
investment income such as National Savings Certificates.
<2>Taxable income is defined as gross income for income tax purposes
less those allowances and reliefs which are available at the taxpayer's
marginal rate.
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 25 February, Official Report , column 683 , what estimate he has made of the effect of increases on the lower rate band of tax, in 1994-95.
Mr. Dorrell : Estimated costs compared with the statutory indexation of allowances and with the lower rate band width of £3,000 announced in the March 1993 Budget are in the table.
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Z
Increase in the Revenue cost inRevenue cost inAdditional
lower rate band 1994-95 full year numbers of
taxpayers with a
marginal rate of 20
per cent.
£ |£ million |£ million |Males (000s) |Females (000s)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
100 |80 |100 |60 |80
500 |400 |500 |310 |450
1,000 |780 |980 |710 |860
Mr. Cormack : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what would be the estimated cost if the higher rate of income tax were levied only on those earning over £45,000 per annum ;
(2) what would be the estimated yield if the higher rate of tax were increased to 50 per cent. on those earning over £70,000 per annum.
Mr. Dorrell : Higher rate income tax is charged on taxable income-- that is gross income for income tax purposes less those allowances and reliefs, which are available at the taxpayer's marginal rate--in excess of the basic rate limit.
At 1994-95 income levels the estimated full-year cost of increasing the basic rate limit to £45,000 would be £3.4 billion compared with statutory indexation. The yield from the introduction of a 50 per cent. rate on taxable incomes over £70,000 would be about £1.4 billion. These estimates do not allow for any behavioural effect that might result from such changes to the tax system and do not include capital gains tax.
VAT
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has had from British Airways and other airlines in regard to VAT on domestic air fares ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir John Cope : A number of such representations have been received. It would be inappropriate for me to comment in advance of my right hon. and learned Friend's forthcoming Budget statement.
Mr. Cormack : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the yield if VAT at 5 per cent. were levied on all items which are currently zero rated or exempt other than food.
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Sir John Cope : The publication "Tax Ready Reckoner and Tax Reliefs" shows the cost of not applying VAT at the standard rate to those goods currently zero rated or exempt. Although such a calculation may be misleading, adding together the figures for 1993-94 for all items in these groups other than food comes to £17.8 billion. It is not possible to calculate pro rata the figure for exempt goods but 5 per cent. on zero rated items ot: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment has been made of the revenue to be gained from imposing VAT on the footwear and clothing of women whose size enables their clothing to be free of VAT.
Sir John Cope [holding answer 25 October 1993] : The law provides that articles designed as clothing or footwear for young children and not suitable for older persons are zero rated. Although certain adults may be able to purchase certain items of zero rated clothing for themselves, we do not believe the VAT receipts forgone from these purchases to be large.
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what calculation he has made of the effective transfer of resources from families of children aged 10 to 16 years in the top clothing size quartile to families of children aged 10 to 16 years in the bottom clothing size quartile arising from the present VAT provisions.
Sir John Cope [holding answer 25 October 1993] : None, as there is not the data on which to base a reliable calculation.
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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Matrix Churchill
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what requests for information on Government export control policy have been received from Lord Howe in connection with the Scott inquiry.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Like other witnesses before the Scott inquiry, Lord Howe has been given access to papers relevant to his evidence by the Departments in which he held office.
Israel
Sir Thomas Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further steps he has taken to ascertain the whereabouts of the Israeli navigator captain Ron Arad.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We continue to raise the case of Ron Arad with those who might be able to help, but we have not obtained reliable information as to his whereabouts. We continue to believe that the best hope for a solution lies with the efforts of the United Nations.
Science Museum
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what assessment he has made of whether the trustees of the science museum are able to meet their obligation under the National Heritage Act 1983 and to discharge the museum's mission statement including care and research of the national collection ; if the proposed reduction in staff will leave in post an adequate number of curators, conservation staff and librarians ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sproat : Under the National Heritage Act 1983, the trustees of the science museum may generally promote the public's enjoyment and understanding of science and technology and of the development of those subjects, both by means of the board's collections and by such other means as they consider appropriate.
In considering future policy for the national museum of science and industry the trustees are naturally aware of their fiduciary responsibilities to the collections and the care and research that attaches to them. They are concerned to ensure that the buildings that house the museums and the public displays presented in them meet the museum's stated mission. The current plans are being implemented in the light of those concerns in order that the museum can improve what it delivers to its various publics and play its proper role in promoting the public understanding of the history and--in particular--the contemporary practice of science, technology, industry and medicine.
Works of Art (Export)
Mr. Jessel : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when the report of the reviewing committee on the export of works of art 1992-93 will be published.
Mr. Brooke : The reviewing committee's annual report 1992-93 has been published today, and copies have been laid before both Houses.
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TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Mobile Phones
Mr. Redmond : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the completion of his Department's project, "Interaction of the Body with Radio Emissions from Hand Held Transceivers". Mr. McLoughlin : The project, "Interaction of the Body with Radio Emissions from Hand Held Transceivers", is due to complete in December 1995. On completion of the project, a document summarising the results will be made public. I will review the need for a statement at that time.
Nuclear Power
Mr. Redmond : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what level of capital investment is required for building nuclear power stations ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : It remains Government policy that Nuclear Electric plc will not be granted capital expenditure approval for any new nuclear stations pending the outcome of a review of the future prospects for nuclear power in the United Kingdom. Options for the scope and format of that review are currently under consideration within Government.
Telecommunications
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to alter the wayleave regulations under the Telecommunications Act 1984 following privatisation to make them more suited to use by private companies laying fibre optic cables.
Mr. McLoughlin : Any operator licensed under the Telecommunications Act 1984 may negotiate wayleaves freely for the installation of any kind of apparatus. In addition, licensees granted powers under that Act's telecommunications code may, in certain circumstances, ask the court to decide the terms of a wayleave which has not been freely agreed by the landowner. I have no plans to alter these arrangements.
Pollution Control Equipment
Mr. Dafis : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action has been undertaken by his Department to stimulate the development of pollution control equipment in industry in the United Kingdom following the Centre for Exporation of Science and Technology's report in 1991.
Mr. McLoughlin : Since the publication of the Centre for the Exploitation of Science and Technology's report in 1991, the DTI has created, in association with the Department of Environment, the joint environmental markets unit. The main aims of the unit are to increase United Kingdom firms' awareness of the huge and growing markets for environmental goods and services and to assist United Kingdom companies to exploit such opportunities. In addition to the creation of this unit, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister launched, in March this year, the technology partnership initiative which aims to encourage appropriate environmental technology co-operation
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between United Kingdom business and developing countries. These two initiatives mean that the DTI is developing a close working relationship with United Kingdom manufacturers and suppliers in the environmental field.Under a three-year environmental technology programme--DEMOS, ETIS and Euroenviron--grants amounting to £13.8 million have been made to a total of 77 projects involved with the development of innovative environmental technologies, techniques and processes, including pollution control equipment.
Nuclear Safety
Mr. Dafis : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make representations to the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate and Nuclear Electric requiring them to state what accident scenarios are considered during the planning and carrying out of defuelling and decommissioning of nuclear reactors.
Mr. Eggar : This is a matter for the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate and Nuclear Electric plc. NE is required by nuclear site licence conditions to produce a safety case which demonstrates the safety of such activities to the HSE's NII. This includes an emergency plan to ensure that the public would be adequately protected in the unlikely event of an accident occurring during the decommissioning process.
Exports to China
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade to what extent the embargo on arms exports to China applies to the export of radar systems for use by military aircraft.
Mr. Needham : The terms of our arms embargo on China were announced to the House by my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 6 June 1989, Official Report, column 30. The embargo applies to the sale of weapons as well as any equipment that could be used for internal repression.
Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what communications his Department has had with the International Plutonium Management Study Committee of the Japanese Science and Technology Agency about the THORP contracts ; and what documents have been provided by the committee on the management of Japanese-owned plutonium at Sellafield.
Mr. Eggar : My Department has frequent discussions with representatives of the Japanese Science and Technology Agency on a range of topics of mutual interest. The THORP contracts are a commercial matter for British Nuclear Fuels plc and its customers.
Electricity Imports
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer 19 July, Official Report, column 13, what are the latest monthly figures for the amount of electricity imported via the channel interconnector ; and what are the prospects for the remainder of 1993 and the first half of 1994.
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Mr. Eggar : Net imports across the interconnector in the five months from May to September 1993 were 6.75 TWh. As I said in my answer of 19 July, the future pattern of trade will depend on the operation of commercial contracts.
Coal Imports
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 28 June, Official Report, column 371, what are the latest monthly figures for coal imports ; and what assessment he has made of the prospects for the remainder of 1993 and the first half of 1994.
Mr. Eggar : Import figures for 1993 are still subject to revision, but estimates for the period January to August 1993 suggest that imports in 1993 will be about 10 to 20 per cent. below imports in 1992.
Orkney Wind Turbine
Mr. Wallace : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the number of hours of operation and the electricity generated, in kilowatt hours, by the Orkney 3 MW wind turbine at Burgar hill in each year since 1988 and in 1993 to date.
Mr. Eggar : Operating records of the Orkney 3 MW wind turbine at Burgar hill are described in the table :
Year |Hours run |mKWh generated ------------------------------------------------------------ 1989 |1,551 |1.926 1990 |1,103 |1.549 1991 |790 |1.135 1992 |3,662 |5.152 1993 |- |-
The machine has not operated in 1993 pending a decision on recommissioning it following completion of its experimental programme.
Mr. Wallace : To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what estimate he has made of the costs of repairing the crack in the rotor in the Orkney 3 MW wind turbine discovered in December 1992 ; and when he expects the repairs to be completed ;
(2) if he will make a statement on the future operational programme for the Orkney 3 MW wind turbine.
Mr. Eggar : The turbine has completed its experimental programme and therefore its future depends on its viability as a generator of electricity. This is under consideration and my Department and Scottish Hydro-Electric plc hope to make a statement before the end of the year. The cost of repairing and recommissioning would be in the region of £50,000.
Nuclear Review
Dr. Michael Clark : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he will announce the terms of reference of the 1994 nuclear review.
Mr. Eggar : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I made on Wednesday 20 October to the hon. Member for Clackmannan (Mr. O'Neill), Official Report, column 245.
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Energy Review Panel
Dr. Michael Clark : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he will appoint members of the energy review panel, which he announced in the coal White Paper.
Mr. Eggar : I announced to the House on 20 October that I had asked Dr. Martin Holdgate to chair the energy advisory panel, and had written to other experts in the energy field asking them to serve as members. I will make an announcement of the full membership of the panel as soon as possible.
Post Office Pension Schemes
Ms Estelle Morris : To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what access to the funds and assets of the Post Office superannuation and Post Office pension schemes will be afforded private companies who take over ownership in the event of privatisation of Post Office Counters Ltd., Royal Mail Ltd. and Parcelforce Ltd.;
(2) what arrangements are planned in the event of the privatisation of Post Office Counters Ltd., Royal Mail Ltd., and Parcelforce Ltd., for any staff made redundant to take their current pension entitlements with them to alternative employment.
Mr McLoughlin : The Government are continuing their review into the future structure and organisation of the Post Office. Once the Government have decided on the future of the Post Office and its constituent businesses, they will be able to consider any implications for pensions in detail. Until then, these questions are hypothetical.
Post Office Chairman
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what criteria he judges the performance of the chairman of the Post Office; when he will next review his performance; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin [holding answer 25 October 1993] : I look to the chairman of the Post Office to lead the board and the Post Office as a whole in providing high quality of service to its customers, efficiently and effectively, particularly measured against the financial and efficiency targets for the Post Office and its businesses set by Government as detailed in the Post Office annual report and accounts, and against targets agreed for the quality of service provided by the businesses.
Redirected Mail
Mr. Hain : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what were the percentage and actual increases in the charges for redirection of mail between 1991 and 1993, and what was the retail prices index increase over the equivalent period.
Mr. McLoughlin [holding answer 25 October 1993] : Charges for redirection of mail service have increased between 1991 and 1993 as follows :
Charge from: |1 month |3 months |12 months ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 16 September 1991 |£3.50 |£7.75 |£18.75 13 September 1993 |£6.00 |£13.00 |£30.00 Percentage increase |71.4 |67.7 |60.0
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The retail price index increase between September 1991 and September 1993 was 5.4 per cent.These increases bring the charges more closely into line with the costs of the mail redirection service and reflect the improvements recently made to these services.
Mr. Patrick Doyle
Mr. Dobson : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a list of all meetings held and correspondence exchanged in the past 10 years between his Department and Mr. Patrick Doyle, now of AST Training ; what was the nature of such meetings or correspondence ; what plans he has to meet Mr. Patrick Doyle ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Neil Hamilton [holding answer 21 October 1993] : My Department has no record of any contact with Mr. Patrick Doyle.
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
R. v. Morris, Reade and Woodwiss
Mr. Mullin : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will place in the Library a copy of Mr. Justice Garland's judgment in the case of R. v. Morris, Reade and Woodwiss.
Mr. John M. Taylor : I have arranged for a copy of Mr. Justice Garland's judgment to be placed in the Library.
WALES
Welsh Language Board
Mr. Rowlands : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what his estimate is of the budget for a full year of the Welsh Language Board.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The budget for 1993-94 for the advisory Welsh Language Board is £400,000. Decisions about future provision for the statutory Welsh Language Board will be made in the context of the current and subsequent public expenditure surveys and will take into account the change in status, duties, functions and remit of the board brought about by the Welsh Language Act 1993. I will announce my decisions in due course in the normal way.
Community Care Housing
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what level of increased capital funding has been granted to Tai Cymru to meet community care housing needs.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : Housing needs of this type are provided for from within the gross resources available to Housing for Wales which for this financial year represent an increase of approximately 5 per cent. on 1992- 93, excluding acquisition initiative funding.
Special Needs Housing
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of Tai Cymru funding was allocated towards approved development programmes of new housing for (a) special needs groups and (b) sheltered housing for elderly people in each year since 1990-91.
Column 579
Mr. Gwilym Jones : Capital funding for new special needs projects as a percentage of the total programme was as follows :
|Per cent
---------------------------
1990-91 |9.3
1991-92 |7.2
1992-93 |4.4
Housing for Wales estimates that the figure for 1993-94 will be 8 per cent.
Separate figures for sheltered elderly allocation are not available for the period in question.
These figures are for new build only. They do not include the increasing number of homes being allocated to people in these groups from general needs provision.
Morriston Hospital, Swansea
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales by what date the new cardiac surgery centre will be completed at Morriston hospital, Swansea ; and in what year 600 adult open-heart operations will be carried out there.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : There is presently no estimated completion date, but the project board established to manage the development of cardiac services at Morriston hospital is drawing up a detailed timetable for the project.
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many dedicated intensive care beds will be provided at the new cardiac surgery unit at Morriston hospital, Swansea.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : My announcement on 21 June gave the overall capacity of the unit--600 open heart procedures a year. Clearly, appropriate intensive care facilities will be needed to support this level of activity, but the detailed planning under way has not yet reached a stage where I could indicate the precise services to be provided.
Dental Treatment
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library for each family health service authority area in Wales, the telephone number and contact name for use by any person not registered with a general dental practitioner who requires emergency dental treatment at night or during the weekends.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : Non-registered patients requiring emergency treatment at night or at weekends should contact their nearest local dentist who may be willing to treat them. Alternatively, patients should contact their GP who will be able to provide pain relief and, where clinically necessary, refer the patient onwards to a local casualty department or appropriate hospital unit. Patients may also refer themselves to casualty departments.
Local Government Boundaries
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will ensure that the geographical boundaries of the proposed new unitary local authorities will be co-terminous with health authority and family health service authority boundaries.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The Government propose, in consultation with the health authorities and the family
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health service authorities, to review their boundaries so that, as far as possible, they do not cross those of the new unitary authorities.NHS Trusts
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the dates by which he will require hospital trusts in Wales to publish their annual reports.
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