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Youth Training
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total expenditure by his Department on youth training in each of the last four years ; and what is the expected outturn for 1994-95 in cash terms and in 1993-94 prices.
Miss Widdecombe : The information requested is given in the table. With fewer people in the age group concerned and more staying on in full- time education, we are now spending more per head on youth training than previously.
Actual expenditure 1990-91 to
1993-94 and expected outturn
for 1994-95
|£ million
------------------------------
1990-91 |823.4
1991-92 |746.3
1992-93 |617.0
1993-94 |640.2
1994-95 |<1>676.5
1994-95 |<2>650.5
<1> At cash prices.
<2> At 1993-94 prices.
Notes:
1989-90 relates to youth
training scheme.
1990-91 onwards relates to
youth training and credits.
Figures for 1990-91 are for
Great Britain.
Figures for 1991-92 are for
England and Wales.
Figures for all other years
are for England only.
Figures for 1993-94 are
provisional.
Planned provision for
1994-95.
Training Expenditure
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total expenditure by his Department for employment training and employment action and then training for work in each of the last four years ; and what is the expected outturn for 1994-95 in cash terms and 1993-94 prices.
Miss Widdecombe : The information requested is as follows :
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Actual expenditure 1990-91 to 1993-94 and expected outturn for 1994-95
£ million |Employment |Employment |Training for|Total
|training |action |work
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1990-91 |1,072.4 |- |- |1,072.4
1991-92 |737.4 |16.3 |- |753.7
1992-93 |629.5 |137.3 |- |766.8
1993-94 |- |- |709.9 |709.9
1994-95 |- |- |- |-
Cash |- |- |693.3 |693.3
Real terms |- |- |666.7 |666.7
Notes:
1. Excludes administration/running costs.
2. Figures for 1990-91 are for Great Britain.
3. Figures for 1991-92 are for England and Wales.
4. Figures for all other years are for England only.
5. Figures for 1993-94 are provisional.
Training for work and its predecessors are one of a range of options open to unemployed people. The Employment Department group offered a record total of 1.5 million opportunities in 1993-94 to help unemployed people back into work.
European Structural Fund
Dame Elaine Kellett-Bowman : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether Her Majesty's Government are submitting proposals for European Community structural fund money under both objective 3 to assist those out of work and objective 4 to assist those who know they will lose their present jobs in the future.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Hertfordshire, North (Mr. Heald) on 25 January 1994 at column 223.
Labour Statistics
Mr. Prescott : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his Department's estimate of the effects on the monthly claimant count of (a) the switch from sickness and invalidity benefits to an incapacity benefit in April 1995 and (b) the switch from unemployment benefit and income support to a job seeker's allowance in April 1996.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : [holding answer 14 April 1994] : The introduction of the new incapacity benefit is expected to increase the basic count progressively in 1995-96, 1996-97 and 1997-98. It is too early to quantify this effect reliably but preliminary estimates, based on the Department of Social Security's published assumptions on the numbers of people who will be found capable of work under the new arrangements for incapacity benefit, suggest that it could reach 200, 000 by 1997-98.
The introduction of job seekers' allowance in April 1996 is likely to have a small downward effect on the count. Again, it is too early to give a reliable assessment of numbers, but preliminary estimates suggest that the effect could be around 30,000.
Further study is needed to assess the feasibility of maintaining the consistent, seasonally adjusted monthly claimant count series.
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Works Councils Directive
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the number of companies and employees in the United Kingdom who will be covered by the proposed European Union directive on works councils.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 12 April 1994] : The proposed directive will not apply to any companies or employees in the United Kingdom. Research suggests that some 90 UK-owned companies have employees above the proposed threshold levels in the other 11 member states and will therefore be affected by a directive of the Eleven just as they are affected by the domestic law of those countries.
DEFENCE
International Military Services Ltd.
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which years before 1990-91 contingent liabilities, whether statutory or non- statutory, in respect of International Military Services Ltd. appear in the Consolidated Fund accounts.
Mr. Aitken : Information on contingent liabilities in respect of International Military Services Ltd. prior to 1990-91 can be found in the Consolidated Fund accounts under the heading "Other Contingent Liabilities- -Ordnance and Military Services Act 1984".
Iraq
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Blaenau, Gwent (Mr. Smith) on 25 March, Official Report, columns 471-72, what were the sources, scope and content of the information from which it was concluded Iraq could manufacture biological weapons.
Mr. Hanley : It is not our normal practice to comment on such matters.
Chemical and Biological Weapons
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what special laundering and working facilities are available to the armed forces in the event of their being subject to chemical or biological weapons attack.
Mr. Hanley : In addition to individual protection equipment for defence against nuclear, biological or
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chemical attack, the armed forces possess, and continue to develop, collective protection equipment. This is deployed to protect medical facilities, aircrew and headquarters, as well as providing rest and recuperation for service personnel in an environment free from agent contamination. Her Majesty's ships and most armoured fighting vehicles have integral filtration-based collective protection systems.Contaminated clothing, including NBC protective clothing, is not intended to be laundered : it is either decontaminated by the wearer, or replaced.
Strategic and Sub-strategic Strikes
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the difference between a strategic strike and a sub-strategic nuclear threat to the United Kingdom.
Mr. Hanley : Our assessment of the intent and nature of any such threat would depend on the particular circumstances at the time.
Mines
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he has given to reviewing the use of mines and its relationship to developments in international law ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : Protocol II of the UN weaponry convention contains strict rules governing the use of land mines. A review conference on the convention has been called for 1995, the main aim of which will be to consider strengthening protocol II. We intend to play a full part in the review conference and are already participating in the preparatory work leading up to it.
Mr. Whittingdale : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to receive a report on the recent loss and subsequent recovery of anti-personnel mines from Shoeburyness ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Aitken : A committee of inquiry has been convened by the establishment to investigate the circumstances surrounding the loss of these mines. I expect to have a report shortly.
Ninety of these mines remain missing and are expected to be widely scattered by now. They pose minimal risk to the public as they are without their detonators. Trials have shown that they would not detonate if exposed to heat or pressure. The emergency services are well aware of the situation.
Ministerial Directions
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 22 March, Official Report, column 175, about advice of accounting officers, what additional costs will be incurred over the next three years as a result of his decision to close part only of RNSD Copenacre.
Mr. Hanley : The costs that will be incurred over the next three years as a result of the decision to close part only of RNSD Copenacre will be lower than those estimated under the full closure option.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 22 March, Official
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, column 175 , about advice of accounting officers, what will be the general effects on the size and shape of the United Kingdom's shipbuilding industry of his decision to award the order for the second auxiliary oiler replenishment vessel on a single tender basis Mr. Aitken : The contract for the second auxiliary oiler replenishment ship, RFA Fort George, was placed with Swan Hunter on 18 December 1987. The ship was accepted from that company in March 1993. It is not possible to estimate what general effects this decision had on the size and shape of the United Kingdom shipbuilding industry.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 22 March, Official Report , column 174 , what was the approximate date on which he decided to place an order for image intensifiers with English Electric Values ; and what was the total value of the order, and the impact of his decision on (a) the operational capabilities of the armed forces and (b) the size and shape of the British defence industry.
Mr. Aitken : The decision to place an order for image intensifiers with English Electric Values was made in March 1992 ; the value of the order was less than £10 million. The decision had no impact on the operational capabilities of the armed forces and was essential in maintaining an United Kingdom source of specialised image intensifier tubes.
Cost Study Teams
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 23 March, Official Report , column 337 , if he will give the titles of the progress reports produced by the defence costs study teams he has seen to date.
Mr. Aitken : The reports received were either final or interim reports for studies listed in answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Erewash (Mrs. Knight) on 15 February at column 750 .
Russia
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has concerning a breach of security at a Russian intercontinental ballistic missile site at Barnaul in the Russian Republic on 10 March.
Mr. Hanley : We are aware that there was a breakdown in discipline leading to a shooting incident at the Barnaul nuclear missile site in Siberia on 10 March. We do not believe that this incident posed any significant security risk to the installation, nor was there any likelihood of a nuclear incident resulting from the occurrence.
Performance Pay
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 22 March, Official Report, column 173, regarding performance pay in the armed forces, what is the name of the management consultants appointed by the Air Force Pay Review Board ; and when they are due to complete their work.
Mr. Hanley : The choice of consultants to assist the AFPRB is its consideration of performance pay, and the terms of their appointment, are entirely the responsibility of the AFPRB.
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NORTHERN IRELAND
Public Bodies
Mr. Kilfoyle : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who are the members currently appointed to the Northern Ireland Consumer Committee for Electricity.
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Mr. Tim Smith : Appointments to this committee are made by the Director General of Electricity Supply for Northern Ireland and I have asked him to write to the hon. Member giving details of current membership.
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