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Mr. Kilfoyle : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who are the members currently appointed to the Central Personal Social Services Advisory Committee.
Mr. Ancram : The current members of the Central Personal Social Services Advisory Committee are as follows :
Chairman :
Mrs. E. McKay
Members :
Mr. A. S. Buchanan
Mr. C. J. Common
Miss M. S. Irwin
Mr. K. P. Keenan
Miss P. A. Lockie
Ms M. C. McAuley
Mrs. V. McGuffin
Mr. R. I. McKeown
Mrs. G. McKibbin
Mr. R. Moore
Dr. J. R. Pinkerton
Ms M. B. E. Smyth
Mr. P. Sweeney
one vacancy.
Mr. Kilfoyle : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who are the members currently appointed to the Central Medical Advisory Committee.
Mr. Ancram : The current members of the Central Medical Advisory Committee are as follows :
Dr. S. M. Lyons (Chairman)
Dr. A. M. Telford
Professor R. W. Stout
Dr. J. Wilde
Mr. D. S. Gordon
Dr. C. A. Hamilton
Dr. H. A. Jefferson
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Dr. E. P. BeckettDr. D. A. J. Keegan
Dr. J. M. W. Park
Dr. P. J. Kennedy
Dr. M. J. Toal
one vacancy.
Mr. Kilfoyle : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who are the members currently appointed to the Advisory Committee of the Therapeutic Professions Allied to Medicine.
Mr. Ancram : The current members of the Advisory Committee of the Therapeutic Professions Allied to Medicine are as follows : Mrs. C. Rosen (Chairman)
Miss M. J. Boyd
Mrs. I. Boyd
Mrs. J. Holmes
Mrs. C. McGartland
Miss R. Nesbitt
Mrs. D. E. Braden
Mrs. C. M. E. Cranston
Mrs. R. M. Maxwell
Mrs. G. E. McDowell
Miss A. McQueen
(1 vacancy)
Mr. Kilfoyle : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who are the members currently appointed to the National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting for Northern Ireland.
Mr. Ancram : The current members of the National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting for Northern Ireland is as follows : Non- executive appointments
Miss E. McNair (Chairman)
Mrs. R. Malone
Mrs. M. McGinley
Mrs. A. Colgan
Miss P. Stanley
Professor M. Connolly
Mr. G. R. Camlin
Executive appointments
Dr. O. D'A. Slevin
Mr. E. N. Thom
Miss S. G. Campbell
Mr. Kilfoyle : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who are the members currently appointed to the Charities Advisory Committee.
Mr. Ancram : The current members of the Charities Advisory Committee are :
Sir Eric McDowell, CBE
Mr. J. R. Comerton
Mr. F. J. Ledwidge
Mr. H. T. Morrison
Mr. J. M. Holland
Salmon
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what sums have been expended by his Department in each year since the Department of Agriculture first leased and began investigations into the salmon in the River Bush ; and how many reports have been produced as a result of that work ; how many and which of these reports have been published for sale to the general public ; and if he will now publish a comprehensive report of all the findings in a form easily understood by the general reader.
Mr. Ancram : The total expenditure by the Department in each year is not available. However, the running costs
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relating to the project are published in the annual reports on the sea and inland fisheries of Northern Ireland, copies of which are in the Library. Forty-eight scientific reports arising from the River Bush project have been published. A comprehensive report will not be published until the project has been completed. However, annual reports on the project, written in layman's terms, are published in the annual report on research and technical work of the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland. Copies of the scientific publications and the annual reports are available, on application, from the Department.Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his estimate of the area of spawning grounds available to grilse and salmon in the River Bush catchment area, the number of such fish that this area can accommodate, the number of fish counted in such areas in each of the last five years for which figures are available, the number of parr produced in each of the last five years and the number of smolts migrating in those years ; and what is his estimate of the optimum numbers of each cohort of such mature and juvenile fish.
Mr. Ancram : The total usable salmonid nursery habitat, comprising spawning and nursery habitat as both are necessary to produce juveniles, is 41.06 hectares. The internationally recognised methodology for measuring utilisation of habitat is ova deposition, rather than number of adult fish, as number of ova per fish can vary considerably. From the research to date, it has been estimated that the overall optimum ova deposition for the River Bush is 2.46 million ova. Ova deposition actually achieved over the past five years is set out in the table. The target deposition has been exceeded in three out of the last five years.
Year of run |Ova
|deposition
|(millions)
------------------------------------
1988 |4.60
1989 |1.06
1990 |2.44
1991 |2.97
1992 |2.72
<1>1993 |<1>
<1> Not yet collated.
The number of juvenile fish--fry and parr--on the River Bush is ascertained by electrofishing surveys at 137 sites covering all the significant spawning and nursery areas. The table sets out the results of the survey.
Year |Average
|number
|salmon 0+ per
|5 min. fishing
---------------------------------------------
1988 |8.26
1989 |16.20
1990 |5.65
1991 |12.48
1992 |13.04
5 year average |11.25
It should be noted that the surveys are not fully quantitative. They should provide indices of abundance to compare between years and should not be interpreted as indicative of the number of salmon comprising the standing stock at the time of the survey.
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The wild salmon smelt migration is set out in the table.
Year |Number of
|smolts
------------------------------
1988 |22,994
1989 |17,812
1990 |17,354
1991 |18,471
1992 |10,006
It should be noted that the target ova deposition set by the Department to achieve optimum recruitment may, due to biological and environmental conditions occurring after ova deposition, result in a wide range of recruitment--that is, an egg-based target aims to ensure full utilisation of habitat, but environmental and predation factors influence the eventual number of fish produced. As a result targets cannot be set for these categories of fish and the statistics given on juvenile and smolt numbers are of limited application to the estimation optimum numbers requested as there are no juvenile or smolt targets set.
Farm Incomes
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was (a) the cash income and (b) the real income of Northern Ireland farmers, divided into the main farm sectors, for the longest available series of years since 1964, with the numbers of farm businesses in each of those years, the number of (i) farmers, (ii) full-time farm workers, and (iii) farm family workers, giving the total
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number of persons employed in farming and the average income of each such person with the latest available year taken as the base year.Mr. Ancram : Aggregate income estimates by main farm sectors are not available. Table 1 provides details of total income from farming in Northern Ireland agriculture as a whole between 1970 and 1993. These data are presented in both current terms and in real terms in index number form.
This table also presents data on the number of farm businesses between 1970 and 1993 and total income from farming divided by the number of businesses to give a measure of the average income per farm--the amount available to reward owners, spouses and family workers for their manual and managerial labour and to provide a return on their own capital invested. Again, the information is presented in current terms and in real terms in index number form. Also given are estimates of the annual average wage per full-time male hired worker--20 years and over--over the same timespan, in current and real terms.
In table 2, data are presented on the numbers of farmers, partners and directors, full-time hired male workers, regularly employed family workers and the total agricultural labour force--that is, farmers, partners and directors, their spouses, family workers and hired workers--in the years between 1964 and 1993.
Caution should be exercised interpreting these data owing to the breaks in the series indicated in the footnotes to the tables.
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Table 1
Total Income from Farming, Income per Farm Business and Annual Wage per Full-time Male Worker (20 years and over) in Current Terms and in
Real Terms in Index Number Form, 1970-1993
|Total income |Number of farm |Income per farm |Annual wage per |Total income |Income per farm |Annual wage per
|from farming |businesses<3> |business |full-time hired |from farming: |business: real |full-time hired male
|male (20+) |real terms index |terms index |20+: real terms index
|1993=100 |1993=100 |1993=100
|(£ million) |(£) |(£)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1970 |45.52 |37,079 |1,228 |728 |126.37 |98.07 |66.40
1971 |46.85 |36,190 |1,294 |829 |119.23 |94.80 |69.34
1972 |50.61 |35,230 |1,436 |889 |120.43 |98.35 |69.48
1973 |61.62 |35,207 |1,750 |1,068 |133.63 |109.22 |76.09
1974 |42.41 |34,700 |1,222 |1,449 |79.70 |65.09 |89.48
1975 |46.00 |33,641 |1,368 |1,914 |69.38 |59.35 |94.01
1976 |56.34 |32,529 |2,033 |2,147 |85.92 |75.77 |91.32
1977 |89.32 |32,352 |2,761 |2,381 |99.80 |88.77 |87.30
1978 |87.87 |31,715 |2,771 |2,581 |90.72 |82.31 |87.52
1979 |58.51 |31,075 |1,883 |2,988 |53.20 |49.27 |89.26
1980 |51.57 |30,284 |1,703 |3,596 |39.79 |37.81 |94.14
1981<1> |112.54 |33,740 |3,335 |3,869 |77.53 |66.12 |87.57
1982 |130.52 |33,665 |3,877 |4,165 |82.90 |70.86 |86.91
1983<2> |122.75 |33,373 |3,678 |4,597 |74.48 |64.22 |91.64
1984 |160.14 |32,814 |4,880 |4,815 |92.57 |81.18 |91.46
1985 |118.92 |32,426 |3,660 |5,186 |64.76 |57.47 |92.77
1986 |100.66 |31,951 |3,150 |5,560 |53.01 |47.72 |96.18
1987 |154.22 |31,203 |4,943 |5,734 |78.07 |71.99 |95.35
1988 |187.11 |30,843 |6,066 |6,141 |90.23 |84.18 |97.28
1989 |215.13 |30,289 |7,103 |6,585 |96.27 |91.46 |96.81
1990 |162.40 |29,850 |5,441 |5,992 |66.35 |63.96 |93.85
1991 |197.87 |29,363 |6,739 |7,779 |76.41 |74.88 |98.69
1992 |229.67 |29,096 |7,893 |7,978 |85.45 |84.51 |97.51
1993<4> |272.86 |28,775 |9,483 |8,306 |100.00 |100.00 |100.00
<1> Owing to changes in definition, the numbers of farm businesses in the years before 1981 cannot be compared directly with those from 1981 onwards.
<2> Owing to changes in methodology, the estimates of total income from farming in the years before 1983 cannot be compared directly with those from
1983 onwards.
<3> The numbers of farm businesses in each of the years 1981 to 1992 refer to all holdings in the main census register which produce agricultural products.
The earlier series excludes holdings with insufficient crops or livestock to provide at least 50 standard man-days of agricultural work.
<4> Provisional.
Column 577
Table 2
Northern Ireland agricultural labour force, 1964-1993
Year |Farmers and |Full-time |All regularly<1>|Total
|partners |hired |employed<2> |agricultural
|workers |family workers |labour force<3>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1964 |42,600 |7,300 |24,700 |100,600
1965 |41,900 |6,000 |23,400 |96,200
1966 |38,600 |6,200 |21,500 |89,200
1967 |38,500 |5,700 |22,200 |86,700
1968 |37,600 |5,400 |21,300 |83,200
1969 |36,100 |5,000 |20,800 |80,000
1970 |36,100 |4,700 |19,800 |78,100
1971 |38,700 |4,600 |17,100 |75,700
1972 |37,900 |4,300 |16,200 |72,700
1973 |37,500 |4,300 |15,400 |71,100
1974 |37,300 |3,800 |14,200 |68,900
1975 |37,900 |3,300 |12,400 |67,100
1976 |37,200 |3,200 |12,000 |67,800
1977 |37,200 |3,000 |11,000 |65,800
1978 |39,200 |2,900 |10,000 |65,700
1979 |38,700 |3,100 |9,600 |64,700
1980 |38,500 |2,800 |9,400 |63,500
1981 |36,900 |2,700 |8,800 |60,700
1982 |36,800 |2,400 |8,500 |60,300
1983 |36,800 |2,500 |8,300 |60,800
1984 |36,600 |2,300 |8,200 |60,500
1985 |36,100 |2,200 |8,100 |60,600
1986 |35,900 |2,100 |7,800 |60,000
1987 |35,400 |2,100 |7,500 |59,400
1988 |35,700 |2,100 |7,200 |59,500
1989 |35,000 |2,000 |7,400 |59,100
1990 |34,600 |2,100 |7,200 |58,400
1991 |34,300 |2,000 |6,900 |57,200
1992 |34,500 |1,900 |6,700 |56,500
1993 |32,400 |1,900 |6,000 |56,500
<1>Numbers of regularly employed family workers include those working
full-time and part-time but exclude farmers' wives. The 1993 figure
excludes the husbands of female farmers (previously included as family
workers).
<2>Prior to 1975, figures for seasonal and casual workers were not
collected separately and would have been included with part-time family
and part-time hired workers.
<3>The total agricultural labour force includes farmers and partners,
regularly employed family workers (both full-time and part-time),
regularly employed hired workers (both full-time and part-time), casual
and seasonal workers and farmers' spouses.
Farmers' Early Retirement Scheme
Rev. Ian Paisley : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans the Government have to introduce the early retirement scheme for farmers approved by the European Commission ; and what proportion of the scheme is co-financed by the EAGGF/Guarantee Fund.
Mr. Ancram : There are no plans to introduce an early retirement scheme for farmers in Northern Ireland under the provision approved by the European Commission. The regulation covering a discretionary early retirement scheme provides for EC co-financing of 50 per cent. of cost rising to 75 per cent. in objective 1 areas.
Milk Marketing Board
Rev. Ian Paisley : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when a decision on the Milk Marketing Board's proposals to form itself into a farmers voluntary co-operative will be considered.
Mr. Ancram : Ministers are currently examining the proposals in the reorganisation scheme submitted by the Milk Marketing Board for Northern Ireland and the
Column 578
representations received in response to the consultation exercise which ended on 18 February 1994. No decisions will be made until this exercise has been completed.Wind Farms
Mr. John Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) wind farms and (b) propellors (i) have been constructed, (ii) have been approved and (iii) are pending.
Mr. Tim Smith : There are two wind farms containing a total of four turbines currently in operation in Northern Ireland. One further wind farm has been approved, containing 26 turbines. Five applications for wind farms containing a total of 58 turbines are currently under consideration.
Mr. John Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his policy as regards the construction of wind farms ; and what circulars he has issued to local planning authorities.
Mr. Tim Smith : The Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland is the planning authority in Northern Ireland. Its policy for the construction of wind farms is set out on pages 115 and 116 of the policy document "A Planning Strategy for Rural Northern Ireland", which was published in September 1993. A copy is available in the Library.
PRIME MINISTER
Official Gifts
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) of 21 February, Official Report, column 32, if he will give his reason for declining to provide the information on official gifts requested.
The Prime Minister : I have received a large number of such gifts, most of minor value. The cost of providing a list would be disproportionate. All the gifts have been handled in accordance with the provisions set out in "Questions of Procedure for Ministers".
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 22 February, Official Report, column 162, if he will list those official gifts purchased by Baroness Thatcher on leaving the office of Prime Minister ; and how their value is established.
The Prime Minister : No. I have nothing further to add to the reply I gave the hon. Member on 22 February, Official Report, column 162.
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Prime Minister what is his policy in respect of official gifts received by his office.
The Prime Minister : The arrangements set out in "Questions of Procedure for Ministers" are followed.
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the items of jewellery given to the state which are at present housed at No. 10 Downing street.
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