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Mr. Key : No. As my predecessor explained in his written reply to the hon. Member on 2 June 1992, at columns 505-6 the draft orders which were the subject of the inquiry held in 1988 have been withdrawn and the report would not be relevant to the scheme now proposed.
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Road Building and Maintenance
Mr. Bayley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent by his Department since 1 April 1979 in (a) each standard region and (b) in each county or former metropolitan county on building, improving and maintaining roads.
Mr. Key : The following tables give (a) the total expenditure on motorways and trunk roads, broken down by standard region, from 1982-83 to 1992-93 ; (b) the amount of transport supplementary grant paid to each local authority from 1986-87 to 1994-95 ; (c) the total Department of Transport expenditure by standard region on building, improving and maintaining roads from 1986-87 to 1992-93. Figures are not available for earlier years or for motorway and trunk road expenditure broken down by county.
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a) Motorways and trunk roads: total expenditure<1> to nearest £1 million by standard region
Standard region |1982-83 |1983-84 |1984-85 |1985-86 |1986-87 |1987-88 |1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91 |1991-92 |1992-93<2> |Total
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
East Anglia |61 |47 |52 |53 |27 |32 |46 |81 |178 |121 |139 |837
East Midlands |51 |54 |81 |84 |83 |85 |89 |118 |191 |135 |132 |1,103
North |44 |28 |35 |37 |39 |69 |47 |74 |78 |73 |85 |609
North West |87 |77 |58 |66 |95 |77 |111 |125 |171 |170 |170 |1,207
South East |296 |286 |331 |334 |326 |340 |290 |448 |637 |783 |837 |4,908
South West |56 |67 |59 |54 |75 |108 |148 |141 |188 |176 |170 |1,242
West Midlands |77 |87 |126 |127 |139 |134 |190 |263 |233 |265 |272 |1,913
Yorkshire and Humberside |60 |59 |54 |56 |75 |106 |69 |93 |114 |125 |154 |965
|--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |---
England |732 |705 |796 |811 |859 |951 |990 |1,343 |1,790 |1,848 |1,959 |12,784
<1> Expenditure figures cover new construction, improvement and maintenance. The regional figures are estimates.
<2> Figures not yet available for later years.
Column 687
(b) Transport Supplementary Grant by local authority 1986-87-1994-95
(£ million)
Authority |1986-87 |1987-88 |1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91 |1991-92 |1992-93 |1993-94 |1994-95 |Total
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
City of London |0.425 |0.479 |0.183 |0.194 |0.101 |0.309 |1.621 |1.022 |0.305 |4.639
Barking |0.099 |0.800 |2.836 |1.895 |1.748 |1.835 |0.592 |1.277 |0.269 |11.351
Barnet |0.164 |0.475 |0.400 |0.291 |0.161 |0.515 |0.487 |0.625 |0.330 |3.448
Bexley |1.711 |0.451 |0.649 |1.118 |2.134 |1.250 |1.694 |3.299 |3.342 |15.648
Brent |0.506 |0.311 |0.436 |0.450 |0.007 |0.693 |0.758 |1.013 |0.829 |5.003
Bromley |0.256 |0.429 |3.883 |3.833 |3.834 |3.055 |2.794 |2.770 |0.556 |21.410
Camden |0.053 |0.107 |0.131 |0.086 |0.189 |0.644 |2.301 |1.986 |1.542 |7.039
Croydon |0.095 |0.202 |0.234 |0.294 |0.888 |0.769 |0.535 |3.162 |1.859 |8.038
Ealing |1.615 |1.911 |1.938 |2.820 |2.429 |1.586 |1.027 |0.983 |0.000 |14.309
Enfield |3.638 |7.413 |11.255 |11.958 |4.881 |4.500 |5.851 |3.053 |1.909 |54.458
Greenwich |0.782 |1.980 |0.816 |0.023 |0.019 |0.000 |0.000 |0.274 |0.948 |4.842
Hackney |0.230 |0.200 |0.427 |0.410 |0.186 |0.524 |1.406 |1.203 |0.648 |5.234
Hammersmith |0.160 |0.118 |0.065 |0.142 |0.148 |0.429 |1.005 |1.330 |1.457 |4.854
Haringey |1.059 |1.478 |3.662 |5.812 |2.721 |1.066 |1.813 |1.562 |0.718 |19.891
Harrow |1.242 |1.609 |3.578 |3.050 |3.214 |3.283 |2.513 |5.352 |1.760 |25.601
Havering |1.833 |1.284 |0.320 |0.207 |0.215 |0.639 |0.388 |0.629 |0.154 |5.669
Hillingdon |5.098 |2.421 |1.957 |4.530 |2.742 |6.352 |8.636 |2.103 |0.000 |33.839
Hounslow |0.528 |0.623 |0.758 |0.714 |0.279 |0.472 |0.401 |2.589 |2.103 |8.467
Islington |0.049 |0.103 |0.072 |0.148 |0.168 |0.362 |0.984 |0.969 |0.703 |3.558
Kensington |0.391 |0.261 |0.069 |0.633 |0.285 |0.230 |0.317 |0.614 |0.061 |2.861
Kingston |3.572 |4.737 |0.331 |1.661 |0.566 |0.613 |0.965 |1.150 |1.251 |14.846
Lambeth |0.130 |0.288 |0.247 |0.182 |0.154 |0.298 |0.374 |0.515 |0.501 |2.689
Lewisham |0.069 |0.299 |0.970 |5.314 |1.987 |4.270 |3.352 |2.627 |1.675 |20.563
Merton |1.171 |2.719 |2.529 |4.280 |7.100 |0.009 |0.000 |0.000 |0.000 |17.808
Newham |1.262 |1.164 |0.343 |0.497 |1.791 |0.815 |1.563 |4.275 |4.033 |15.743
Redbridge |0.267 |1.048 |0.403 |0.339 |0.134 |0.416 |0.485 |0.913 |0.546 |4.551
Richmond |0.224 |0.205 |0.186 |0.163 |0.172 |0.408 |0.441 |0.599 |0.331 |2.729
Southwark |1.414 |0.734 |0.997 |1.952 |0.249 |0.449 |1.416 |1.746 |1.282 |10.239
Sutton |0.500 |0.843 |0.778 |0.682 |0.590 |0.991 |0.288 |1.028 |0.373 |6.073
Tower Hamlets |0.043 |0.169 |0.068 |0.070 |0.091 |0.495 |1.252 |4.079 |1.927 |8.194
Waltham Forest |0.864 |1.091 |0.494 |0.476 |0.056 |0.389 |0.865 |1.369 |0.455 |6.059
Wandsworth |2.309 |2.442 |0.554 |0.433 |1.011 |2.174 |2.283 |2.054 |2.132 |15.392
Westminster |0.508 |0.383 |0.210 |0.750 |0.367 |0.846 |2.526 |2.140 |1.166 |8.896
Bolton |0.090 |2.050 |1.343 |0.043 |1.342 |1.264 |1.711 |1.768 |1.424 |11.035
Bury |0.760 |0.332 |1.010 |1.698 |0.849 |0.433 |0.565 |0.880 |0.860 |7.387
Manchester |2.996 |2.275 |3.145 |1.328 |4.816 |9.395 |8.672 |11.447 |9.654 |53.728
Oldham |0.090 |0.270 |1.120 |1.097 |0.614 |1.948 |5.544 |3.944 |1.360 |15.987
Rochdale |0.275 |0.250 |0.285 |0.263 |0.189 |0.464 |0.760 |0.964 |0.874 |4.324
Salford |1.518 |3.301 |3.846 |2.791 |2.548 |1.569 |1.686 |1.324 |1.032 |19.615
Stockport |1.865 |0.284 |0.180 |0.018 |0.458 |1.740 |1.792 |2.223 |2.141 |10.701
Tameside |0.450 |0.247 |0.310 |0.566 |0.403 |0.690 |1.232 |1.458 |0.712 |6.068
Trafford |1.616 |1.446 |0.642 |1.765 |0.389 |0.138 |2.196 |2.200 |3.827 |14.219
Wigan |2.271 |1.650 |2.315 |0.998 |0.872 |1.846 |0.835 |0.210 |0.336 |11.333
Knowsley |0.197 |0.143 |0.242 |0.273 |0.896 |1.670 |6.496 |7.405 |3.764 |21.086
Liverpool |2.702 |2.267 |1.235 |1.762 |0.750 |0.000 |0.000 |2.060 |2.572 |13.348
St. Helens |0.080 |0.150 |0.635 |2.304 |2.941 |7.781 |6.973 |2.411 |0.209 |23.484
Sefton |0.120 |0.207 |0.171 |0.327 |0.369 |0.619 |0.620 |0.869 |0.274 |3.576
Wirral |0.316 |0.377 |1.230 |0.709 |0.450 |0.000 |1.677 |2.353 |0.963 |8.075
Barnsley |0.711 |0.473 |0.400 |0.545 |1.574 |2.671 |4.024 |1.676 |2.674 |14.748
Doncaster |0.409 |0.226 |0.471 |0.661 |0.707 |2.292 |3.533 |3.098 |2.437 |13.834
Rotherham |0.231 |0.167 |0.223 |0.688 |1.243 |0.662 |1.942 |1.000 |1.613 |7.769
Sheffield |2.419 |2.105 |0.380 |0.585 |5.546 |5.012 |7.475 |11.318 |5.286 |40.126
Gateshead |0.070 |0.800 |1.995 |2.050 |0.972 |0.756 |2.888 |0.402 |0.000 |9.933
Newcastle |1.060 |1.715 |2.285 |2.763 |0.062 |0.989 |1.078 |2.836 |3.442 |16.230
North Tyneside |0.065 |0.421 |0.380 |0.310 |0.153 |0.315 |0.425 |0.707 |0.529 |3.305
South Tyneside |1.375 |0.970 |0.360 |0.215 |0.700 |0.961 |0.176 |0.454 |0.350 |5.561
Sunderland |1.466 |1.100 |1.577 |0.965 |0.847 |1.913 |1.956 |1.746 |0.569 |12.139
Birmingham |3.923 |3.913 |3.903 |3.954 |7.895 |10.256 |12.263 |17.458 |15.749 |79.314
Coventry |0.897 |1.626 |1.942 |3.053 |1.474 |2.793 |4.641 |5.337 |3.835 |25.598
Dudley |0.122 |0.644 |0.692 |0.368 |0.575 |1.444 |3.564 |4.678 |4.408 |16.495
Sandwell |0.492 |0.595 |0.917 |0.943 |0.752 |1.180 |2.398 |2.495 |2.288 |12.060
Solihull |0.069 |0.275 |0.510 |0.526 |0.428 |0.442 |0.982 |1.742 |1.428 |6.042
Walsall |1.456 |1.370 |1.578 |1.072 |2.751 |0.440 |8.635 |10.094 |7.854 |35.250
Wolverhampton |2.363 |2.844 |3.461 |1.548 |2.842 |6.160 |3.033 |7.593 |7.483 |37.327
Bradford |3.307 |4.579 |1.686 |2.928 |2.467 |2.280 |2.159 |2.869 |2.817 |25.092
Calderdale |0.064 |0.120 |0.210 |0.084 |0.096 |0.367 |0.458 |1.245 |1.442 |4.086
Kirklees |1.346 |0.773 |1.319 |0.500 |0.060 |0.949 |2.295 |3.524 |1.857 |12.623
Leeds |0.204 |0.553 |1.523 |1.541 |2.632 |1.987 |4.083 |10.070 |6.981 |29.574
Wakefield |0.141 |0.180 |0.263 |0.308 |0.157 |1.213 |1.414 |1.897 |1.344 |6.917
Avon |1.700 |1.973 |4.306 |4.196 |6.714 |8.855 |6.295 |7.546 |7.320 |48.905
Bedfordshire |1.945 |2.616 |3.249 |4.103 |2.591 |3.228 |2.233 |3.276 |1.910 |25.151
Berkshire |3.304 |3.102 |2.688 |1.195 |1.882 |2.707 |4.617 |4.990 |2.426 |26.911
Buckinghamshire |0.763 |2.035 |0.707 |1.229 |1.153 |1.849 |1.886 |2.461 |0.945 |13.028
Cambridgeshire |1.665 |4.474 |2.255 |2.298 |1.932 |1.870 |2.792 |4.577 |2.244 |24.107
Cheshire |2.920 |1.905 |1.364 |2.776 |4.154 |5.501 |11.099 |11.601 |8.794 |50.114
Cleveland |3,036 |2.211 |3.162 |4.492 |5.442 |3.689 |3.623 |6.955 |4.216 |36.826
Cornwall |1.220 |1.488 |2.270 |1.743 |2.797 |3.958 |4.848 |5.293 |5.036 |28.653
Cumbria |0.280 |0.775 |1.400 |0.640 |2.326 |3.312 |2.283 |3.884 |1.803 |16.703
Derbyshire |1.461 |0.748 |0.683 |1.515 |0.582 |1.158 |1.908 |3.835 |1.811 |13.701
Devon |2.694 |3.185 |3.501 |1.743 |3.394 |5.062 |4.412 |5.834 |4.066 |33.891
Dorset |5.057 |5.377 |4.320 |3.102 |2.866 |2.770 |3.466 |3.297 |2.258 |32.513
Durham |1.559 |2.409 |1.938 |1.915 |2.410 |3.659 |4.307 |6.113 |4.607 |28.917
East Sussex |1.166 |0.964 |2.121 |2.482 |3.071 |5.231 |3.151 |4.155 |3.154 |25.495
Essex |5.332 |8.050 |8.730 |5.074 |6.686 |6.448 |6.275 |7.628 |7.757 |61.980
Gloucestershire |0.861 |0.942 |1.077 |1.563 |1.933 |2.091 |4.377 |3.469 |2.595 |18.908
Hampshire |5.529 |4.248 |4.115 |4.832 |7.639 |12.179 |10.512 |15.031 |10.192 |74.277
Hereford/Worcester |1.928 |1.690 |1.976 |0.346 |1.338 |3.227 |2.494 |1.507 |1.179 |15.685
Hertfordshire |4.398 |1.800 |3.095 |3.050 |3.025 |3.253 |5.823 |8.731 |5.019 |38.194
Humberside |2.072 |1.967 |4.518 |5.221 |5.312 |5.589 |8.225 |8.242 |5.822 |46.968
Isle of Wight |0.967 |0.883 |0.727 |0.525 |0.414 |0.971 |0.902 |1.544 |0.363 |7.296
Kent |4.437 |5.813 |9.255 |11.256 |12.550 |37.229 |33.149 |25.008 |43.616 |182.313
Lancashire |4.766 |6.375 |4.683 |6.035 |12.873 |11.232 |11.630 |7.955 |9.550 |75.099
Leicestershire |3.733 |4.425 |4.945 |3.971 |3.047 |5.643 |5.728 |3.903 |1.257 |36.652
Lincolnshire |0.938 |1.750 |1.139 |1.189 |1.574 |1.840 |3.402 |4.788 |2.611 |19.231
Norfolk |1.059 |2.155 |2.150 |1.416 |5.673 |4.732 |6.541 |6.906 |4.902 |35.534
Northamptonshire |5.085 |4.357 |3.235 |4.125 |2.849 |3.864 |4.464 |4.762 |2.457 |35.198
Northumberland |1.123 |1.075 |0.544 |0.363 |1.481 |3.143 |2.757 |5.134 |3.569 |19.189
North Yorkshire |3.562 |3.552 |1.925 |2.653 |3.444 |6.157 |6.452 |9.645 |4.298 |41.688
Nottinghamshire |1.718 |1.850 |2.037 |2.054 |1,914 |5.555 |4.277 |4.221 |4.326 |27.952
Oxfordshire |0.511 |0.801 |0.713 |0.023 |2.462 |2.984 |5.087 |5.148 |0.000 |17.729
Shropshire |1.456 |1.294 |1.750 |1.679 |1.566 |4.355 |2.481 |1.514 |1.262 |17.357
Somerset |1.326 |1.287 |3.211 |3.785 |3.156 |3.013 |2.975 |6.336 |3.271 |28.360
Staffordshire |3.257 |3.015 |2.822 |2.992 |2.913 |3.927 |3.820 |6.922 |5.861 |35.529
Suffolk |2.547 |0.899 |1.753 |1.935 |3.187 |9.298 |5.688 |4.165 |3.579 |33.051
Surrey |2.513 |3.058 |2.236 |4.684 |6.330 |5.121 |8.139 |15.687 |10.863 |58.631
Warwickshire |1.239 |1.459 |1.746 |3.209 |0.492 |0.951 |1.797 |2.516 |1.611 |15.020
West Sussex |3.622 |3.089 |2.730 |1.526 |4.532 |4.126 |3.478 |3.694 |2.625 |29.422
Wiltshire |1.448 |1.429 |0.361 |0.109 |2.985 |2.688 |1.493 |0.503 |0.705 |11.721
Column 691
(c) Estimated total Department of Transport expenditure<1> on roads by standard regions to nearest £1 million for 1986-87 to 1992-93 Region |1986-87|1987-88|1988-89|1989-90|1990-91|1991-92|1992-93|Total ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- East Anglia |32 |40 |52 |87 |189 |137 |154 |690 East Midlands |96 |98 |101 |131 |201 |153 |132 |912 North |49 |81 |62 |88 |95 |92 |104 |572 North West |118 |100 |133 |149 |204 |216 |233 |1,153 South East |393 |415 |372 |543 |730 |909 |973 |4,336 South West |89 |124 |187 |157 |212 |204 |198 |1,151 West Midlands |156 |153 |211 |283 |256 |300 |318 |1,677 Yorkshire and Humberside |89 |121 |82 |109 |137 |154 |196 |888 <1> Expenditure figures cover motorway and trunk road expenditure as defined in footnote (<1>) to table (a), and Transport Supplementary Grant.
Jubilee Line
Mr. Spellar : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the current timetable for progress and completion of the Jubilee line.
Mr. Norris : The planned construction period is 53 months, with completion in early 1998.
Mr. Spellar : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements have been made for security at the site of the initial workings of the Jubilee line in consideration of its proximity to the Palace of Westminster.
Mr. Norris : London Underground Ltd. has a legally binding agreement with the Corporate Officer of the House and it is fulfilling all the requirements of that agreement.
Heavy Goods Vehicles
Mr. Speller : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has to restrict heavy goods vehicles to the inside two lanes on four-lane motorways.
Mr. Key : None. To do so would deny the road haulage industry the benefits of motorway widening and could have an adverse effect on road safety.
Departmental Publications
Mr. Rowe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for how many regular publications he was responsible in 1993-94 ; what was their circulation ; and how many were obtainable by subscription.
Column 692
Mr. Norris : In the financial year 1993-94 the Secretary of State was responsible for 64 regular publications. Circulation was within the Department of Transport and to public bodies such as local authorities. None of them was on subscription.
Coastguard Agency
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements he has made to launch the Coastguard Agency on 30 March ; and if he will give full details of all costs associated with the promotion of this event.
Mr. Norris [holding answer 29 March 1994] : My noble Friend the Minister for Aviation and Shipping formally launched the Coastguard Agency at a press briefing held on 30 March in the agency's headquarters in Southampton. At about the same time press briefings were also held at a number of HM Coastguard's 21 rescue centres around the coast. The final costs associated with the launch on 30 March are expected to be in the region of £4,000, which includes £5 per head for the buffet lunch for staff of the agency, used to mark the occasion in various ways.
TREASURY
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many parliamentary questions to his Department have not been answered over the past five years ; because of disproportionate costs or because the
Column 693
information requested was not held centrally how many could be answered now due to computerisation and/or more effective operational systems ; and if he will list each such question along with the name and constituency of the hon. Member who tabled it.Sir John Cope : Around 160 parliamentary questions were not answered fully and substantively in the five calendar years 1989-93 either because the information requested was not available or because it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. This represents less than 1 per cent. of the questions answered by Treasury Ministers.
Determining precisely how many of these questions could now be answered would be a major exercise which would itself be disproportionately costly to undertake. However, I would expect there to be very few instances where information could now be provided which was not available previously.
VAT (Fuel)
Dr. Wright : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the loss of revenue from the imposition of value added tax on fuel in (a) 1994-95 and (b) 1995-96 as a consequence of (i) the compensation provisions and (ii) pre-payment by consumers.
Sir John Cope : The Government have made available a generous package of help for pensioners, and those on low incomes, worth £2, 500 million over three years. I do not expect that there will be any loss of tax revenue from the compensation package. The revenue loss from pre- payment of fuel bills by consumers will be very small in relation to the total revenue from VAT on fuel and power.
Shipping Industry
Sir Giles Shaw : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has for assisting the British shipping industry.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The health of the merchant fleet is clearly a matter of great concern both inside and outside the House. The Government have made it clear that we recognise the very important contribution which shipping makes to the economy, and the essential role which the industry can be called on to play in a national emergency. And we have shown in the past our willingness to help with the problems which it faces.
We recognise that it is common for shipping companies overseas to benefit from special tax provisions. We believe that such special provisions introduce distortions which can inhibit competition and lead to the inefficient allocation of resources. We will be raising these points forcefully with the European Commission.
However, we also recognise that, competitively, tax measures available overseas put our shippers at a particular disadvantage. We have therefore decided to introduce a provision which will allow capital allowance balancing charges for ships to be rolled over for a period of up to three years from the date on which the ship is disposed of, to be set off against subsequent expenditure on ships within that period. The amount of any balancing charge which can be rolled over will be limited to the amount needed to ensure that no tax liability arises as a result of a ship's disposal. We estimate that this measure will benefit the shipping industry by up to £20 million per annum in a full
Column 694
year. In drawing up this provision we will be considering whether it should be restricted to ships on the United Kingdom register ; and in doing so will take account of what our European Union partners do.As with any measures of this sort we have an obligation to notify the Commission of the proposal. Subject to the outcome of discussions with the Commission, we will be bringing forward the necessary legislation in next year's Finance Bill, with retrospective effect from 21 April 1994. The draft legislation will be made available by the Inland Revenue as soon as possible.
Mr. Trotter : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he proposes to take to assist the Merchant Navy.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Members for Dover (Mr. Shaw) and for Stoke-on-Trent, North (Ms Walley) on 21 April at columns 597-98 and to the hon. Member for Pudsey (Sir G. Shaw) today.
Valuation Office Executive Agency
Mr. Burns : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what targets will be set for the Valuation Office executive agency for the year 1994-95.
Sir John Cope : I have set the following key targets for the agency in 1994-95 :
Operational targets--
Council tax
To clear in aggregate some 730,000 appeals against the council tax valuation lists by 31 December 1994.
Non-domestic rating
To clear 260,000 appeals against the 1990 non-domestic rating lists.
To complete the revaluation of some 1.7 million non-domestic properties for new rating lists coming into effect on 1 April 1995. Direct taxes
To undertake 75,000 valuation cases for the Inland Revenue for capital gains and inheritance tax purposes.
Other
To undertake 66,000 cases (and achieve receipts of some £25 million) in respect of chargeable work for other Government Departments, public bodies and local authorities.
Financial performance and cost efficiency--
To ensure the agency's net operating costs are at least fully covered by receipts.
To achieve efficiency savings of at least 4 per cent. on the agency's gross expenditure.
To break even, year on year, within each business segment after charging for the full cost of services including notional interest of 6 per cent. on the average working capital.
Quality of service--
To reply to 90 per cent. of all correspondence within 28 days of receipt and the remaining 10 per cent. within a further seven days. To achieve agreed or specified time limits in 95 per cent. of cases undertaken.
To achieve a specified valuation quality standard in 83 per cent. of cases carried out.
Further details are set out in the agency's business plan for 1994-95, copies of which will be placed in the Library of the House on publication.
Column 695
Taxation and Benefit Expenditure
Mr. Hutton : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing (a) the percentage of gross national product accounted for by taxation and social security spending and (b) unemployment rates in each year since 1979.
Mr. Portillo [holding answer 20 April 1994] : The information requested is shown in the table. The figures given are presented in financial year terms and as a percentage of gross domestic product, following conventions used in the "Financial Statement and Budget Report".
Per cent./year
|(a) Non-North |Social security |(b)
|Sea tax |expenditure<3><5>|Unemployment<6>
|burden<2><3><4>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979-80 |35" |9.0 |4.0
1980-81 |36" |9.5 |5.1
1981-82 |39¬ |10.6 |8.1
1982-83 |38" |11.1 |9.5
1983-84 |38¬ |11.4 |10.5
1984-85 |38¬ |11.5 |10.7
1985-86 |37¬ |11.5 |10.9
1986-87 |373/4 |11.4 |11.1
1987-88 |38 |10.7 |10.0
1988-89 |37¬ |9.8 |8.0
1989-90 |37 |9.5 |6.3
1990-91 |37 |10.1 |5.8
1991-92 |363/4 |11.2 |8.1
1992-93 |35 |12.3 |9.8
1993-94<1> |34¬ |12.9 |10.3
<1>For (a) these are forecasts.
<2>Non-North Sea taxes, social security contributions and the community charge as a
percentage of non-North Sea GDP. Figures are on an accruals basis.
<3>Based on money GDP figures adjusted for the years before 1990-91 to remove the
distortion caused by the abolition of domestic rates.
<4>Including the council tax from 1993-94, when it replaced the community charge.
<5>Grand total benefit expenditure as a percentage of nominal GDP. Underlying expenditure
figures are in cash terms. The figure for 1993-94 includes an amount for the spring
supplementary estimate.
<6>United Kingdom seasonally adjusted unemployment. Rates are annual averages of the
total unemployed workforce, of the first year quoted.
HEALTH
NHS Trusts
Mr. Clifton-Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of NHS trust hospitals have now been awarded trust status ; what percentage of the NHS budget is allocated to NHS trust hospitals ; and what percentage of NHS patients are treated by NHS trust hospitals.
Dr. Mawhinney : There are 419 operational national health service trusts which represent 95 per cent. of all acute hospitals, community hospitals and units and ambulance services. We estimate that in 1994-95 around 96 per cent. of the revenue available for purchasing hospital and community health services will be spent in NHS trusts. Figures are not available for the percentage of NHS patients treated in NHS trusts for 1993 -94.
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total expenditure by national health service
Column 696
trusts, regional and district health authorities and family health services authorities on purchase of health care from non-national health service providers in 1990-91 and 1991-92.Mr. Sackville : Expenditure on purchase of health care from non- national health service providers in 1991-92 is shown in the table. The figure for family health services authorities is that for purchases by general practitioner fundholders of hospital services from private providers. In 1990-91 this category of expenditure was not separately analysed and was not available centrally.
|£000s
---------------------------------------------------
NHS trusts |12,204
Regional health authorities |32,746
District health authorities |159,818
Family health services authorities |3,698
Source: Annual accounts of regional and district
health authorities and FHSAs; financial returns of
NHS trusts.
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was her policy in respect of the requests for repayment of public dividend capital by NHS trusts in each financial year since 1991-92 ; and how many NHS trusts will be requested to make such payments in respect of each year.
Mr. Sackville : Legislation provides that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State may, with the consent of Treasury, but need not, accept payments from the national health service trust in discharge of part, but not all, of the public dividend capital. It is not currently policy to require such payments and accordingly no trust has been asked to make one.
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her policy on the return-on-‡assets targets and returns for NHS trusts ; and if these targets include the effect of interest charges.
Mr. Sackville : National health service trusts are required to make a 6 per cent. return on the value of their average net relevant assets. It is calculated as the percentage that a trust's operating surplus, before charging interest, bears to the average relevant net assets for the year.
Radioactive Material
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what storage or disposal sites are operated by the national disposal services for radioactive materials and sources used by the NHS ; which NHS agency operates this service ; and if she will list the contractors approved by the service for replacing, recovering and transporting such sources.
Mr. Sackville : AEA Technology and British Nuclear Fuels plc--BNFL-- accept wastes whose disposal via their services is permitted under an authorisation, or which is subject to the Radioactive Substances (Waste Closed Sources) Exemption Order 1962.
There is no national health service agency operating this service and information about contractors used is not available centrally. Each hospital is responsible for the safe storage and disposal of any radioactive materials and sources that may
Column 697
be used as set out in authorisations issued to each hospital by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993.Primary Care Deprivation Allowances
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the costs of general practitioners' primary care deprivation allowances in each family health services authority area.
Dr. Mawhinney : The amounts paid in deprivation payments by family health services authorities in 1992-93, the last year for which figures are available, will be placed in the Library. The deprivation payments scheme was introduced with the 1990 general practitioner contract to recompense GPs for the higher potential work load generated by patients living in deprived areas. Payments are targeted on those practices that serve the areas of highest deprivation.
General Practitioners
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the expenditure on health provision within general practitioners' budgets in each year since 1990-91 in cash and standard price terms.
Dr. Mawhinney : Gross current expenditure on the provision of general medical services, in both cash and constant prices, is included in table 20 of the 1994 Departmental Report (Cm 2512), copies of which are available in the Library.
Mrs. Bridget Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many budget-holding practices there are in each of the London regional health authorities ; and what percentage of the total number of general practitioner practices in London are budget-holding practices.
Dr. Mawhinney : There are 213 fundholding practices in the North Thames regional health authority and 339 in South Thames. 18 per cent. of the general practitioner practices within these two regions are fundholders.
Redundancies
Mr. Spellar : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her policy on redundancy packages in the health service which include a prohibition on the individual from commenting on his case.
Dr. Mawhinney : All settlements on termination should be open to public scrutiny irrespective of any confidentiality clause.
Nurses and Midwives
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of (a) part-time nurses employed in NHS hospitals by region for each of the last five years and the corresponding figures for part-time nurses employed in the community and by family doctors and (b) full-time nurses employed in NHS hospitals by region for each of the last five years and the corresponding figures for full-time nurses employed in the community and by family doctors.
Mr. Sackville : The information available will be placed in the Library.
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This information excludes Project 2000 students where numbers were approximately 3,000, 10,500, 18,300 in 1990, 1991 and 1992 respectively.Non-executive Members (Health Authorities)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to replace standardised rewards for non-executive members of health authorities with a payment by hour of attendance at national average earnings.
Dr. Mawhinney : No. Non-executive members receive a modest sum to help compensate for the time they contribute to the health authority. They are not salaried employees of the national health service and it would be inappropriate to treat them as such.
Cornwall Health
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will now make a statement on legal costs and the current libel case involving the non-executive directors of Cornwall health.
Dr. Mawhinney : No decision has yet been made.
Secure Places
Mr. Anthony Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the names of the local authorities in each region of England and Wales whose proposals to contribute towards the provision of the 170 additional secure places required for criminal justice proposals have been accepted.
Mr. Bowis : The information requested is shown in the table. A number of further proposed projects are being held in reserve should any of the selected projects be withdrawn on planning or other grounds. It is currently anticipated that, subject to planning procedures, construction of 110 of the additional places could be completed by the end of 1995 and the balance by mid-1996.
Proposals brought forward by local authorities in England and
Wales
and included, in principle, in capital programme
Region and authority |Places
-------------------------------------------------------------------
North East
Northumberland |<1>5
Tyne and Wear |12
North West
Lancashire |<1>8
St. Helens |<1>3
Yorkshire and Humberside
Leeds |<1>9
South Yorkshire |8
West Midlands
Coventry |<1>8
Staffordshire |12
East Midlands
Derbyshire |<1>3
Lincolnshire |<1>8
Nottinghamshire |<1>10
Thames/Anglia
Cambridgeshire |10
Essex |8
Northamptonshire |<1>16
London
Southwark |<1>16
Southern
Hampshire |<1>8
West Sussex |10
South West
Avon |<1>6
Devon |<1>4
Wales
West Glamorgan |<1>6
|--
Total |170
<1> Indicates completion of construction anticipated by end 1995.
Medicines Control Agency
Mr. Ian Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the key business targets for the Medicines Control Agency for 1994-95.
Mr. Sackville : I have today placed copies of the 1994-95 key business targets for the Medicines Control Agency in the Library.
Patient Complaints
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she intends to publish the report of Professor Wilson on patient complaints ; and if she will make a statement.
Dr. Mawhinney : The independent committee set up under Professor Wilson to review national health service complaints procedures has submitted its report. We will be announcing the results of the review and publishing the report for consultation shortly.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Claimants, London
Mrs. Bridget Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many (a) couples and (b) lone parents in each London borough claimed family credit in (a) 1992-93 and (b) 1993-94.
Mr. Burt : The information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
VAT (Fuel)
Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to make compensatory payments to those entitled in respect of value added tax on fuel bills for the period 1 April to 11 April which is not covered by the existing scheme ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Burt : None. The extra help is included in the 1994-95 benefit rates which become effective from the week commencing with the first Monday in the tax year in compliance with the statutory obligation imposed by section 150 of the Social Security Administration Act. In the case of the vast majority of claims, it will be available to recipients before their fuel bills become payable.
Child Support Agency
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many letters or other representations about the Child Support Agency his Department has received in the agency's first year of operation or at the latest date for which figures are available.
Column 700
Mr. Burt : Between April 1993 and 15 April 1994 the Department of Social Security headquarters and the Child Support Agency headquarters received 19,620 written representations covering a range of views about child support policy and Child Support Agency operations. The Child Support Agency's telephone line for Members of Parliament has received over 1,000 calls since it was set up in mid-December.
The number of written representations made to Child Support Agency centres and field offices is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy that, where hon. Members request it, replies to specific inquiries relating to child support will be provided by him, rather than by the chief executive of the Child Support Agency ; what criteria he uses when deciding which parliamentary inquiries will be provided by Ministers, and which will be referred to officials ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Burt : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 9 February 1994 at column 365 . There are no plans to change the handling of correspondence from hon. Members.
Invalidity Benefit, Brighton
Mrs. Roche : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many individuals were in receipt of invalidity benefit within the Brighton borough council area for each consecutive year from 1986 ; and how much was paid out in invalidity benefit in each of those years.
Mr. Scott : This is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available.
Letter from Michael Bichard to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 21 April 1994 :
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about Invalidity Benefit (IVB) recipients in Brighton.
The information is not available in the format requested. This is because statistics did not identify separately invalidity benefit customers from sickness benefit customers until May 1991. The Brighton Borough Council area corresponds very closely with the geographical area dealt with by the BA's Brighton District Office (DO). Statistics relating to the numbers of IVB customers appropriate to the Brighton DO area will provide a reasonably accurate figure for IVB recipients within the area in question.
However, from November 1992, IVB claims appropriate to the BA Lewes Branch Office (BO) area have also been dealt with at Brighton DO. Unfortunately statistics of IVB customers appropriate to each office area are not maintained and could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.
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