| Previous Section | Home Page |
Subject Access Requests
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many subject access requests were received by his Department in the last year; what estimate he has of the percentage of those requests which were enforced subject access requests; and if he will make a statement concerning his policy towards enforced subject access.
Miss Widdecombe: The number of subject access requests received by the Department, in the year to 30 September 1994, was 79.
Column 72
Applicants are not required to give their reasons for disclosure so it is not possible to estimate the percentage of requests which were enforced subject access requests.It is the Employment Department's policy to answer all subject access requests in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1984.
Nitric Acid
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what volumes of nitric acid are currently licensed for storage by British Nuclear Fuels plc at Sellafield.
Mr. Oppenheim: There is no requirement for the volumes of nitric acid stored at Sellafield to be specified as part of the nuclear site licence.
Labour Statistics
Mr. Parry: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the level of unemployment in the construction industry in (a) the Liverpool, Riverside constituency and (b) Merseyside at the latest available date; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Oppenheim: The information requested is not available.
Ministerial Visits
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many overseas visits he and each of his Ministers have made between 1 January and 30 June; during how many he, or each of his Ministers, participated in fund raising activities for the Conservative party; and if he will name the Ministers and the countries in which these activities took place.
Miss Widdecombe: Ministers have made nine overseas visits in their official capacity in the period between 1 January and 30 June 1994. None of these visits involved fund raising for the Conservative party.
Race Relations Employment
Advisory Service
Mr. McAllion: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment which representative ethnic minority organisations his Department consulted before it included the Race Relations Employment Advisory Service in the Department's market-testing programme.
Mr. Oppenheim: There was no need for the Department to consult ethnic minority organisations before including the Race Relations Employment Advisory Service in its market testing programme. The RREAS is a self-contained organisation which offers advice and guidance on racial equality in employment directly to employers in the private and public sectors. The service has no formal links with ethnic minority organisations. There is no reason why any changes in its administration or management should impact on the work of such organisations.
Trade Union Membership
Mr. Boyes: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of employees in (a) coal mining, (b) water supply, (c) textiles, (d) rail transport, (e) local government, (f) the fire
Column 73
service, (g) the police, (h) the courts, (i) defence, (j) security, (k) schools and (1) higher education belonged to a trade union in each year from 1989 to 1991.Mr. Oppenheim: The number and percentage of employees who were trade union members in 1989, 1990 and 1991 is given in the following table. Further
Column 74
information is available from the Employment Gazette, June 1994. Information is not available for some of the industries specified by the hon. Member. However, where possible, figures for industries which most closely approximate to those requested have been supplied instead.
Membership of trade unions among employees in selected industries in Great Britain - 1989, 1990 and 1991
1989 1990 1991
Industry |Trade union |Trade union |Trade union |Trade union |Trade union |Trade union
|membership (000s) |density (per cent.)|membership (000s) |density (per cent.)|membership (000s) |density (per cent.)
|(a) |(a) |(a)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All employees |8,491 |39 |8,375 |38 |8,117 |37
Coal extraction and manufacture of solid fuels |120 |90 |112 |92 |91 |90
Water supply |54 |82 |53 |79 |55 |74
Textiles |84 |43 |77 |37 |59 |36
Railways |107 |94 |102 |92 |91 |91
National and local government |538 |66 |537 |64 |568 |63
Fire Services |49 |91 |55 |91 |53 |92
Police |116 |57 |137 |63 |139 |66
Justice |41 |65 |51 |66 |48 |60
National defence |63 |24 |71 |27 |62 |24
School education (b) |752 |63 |760 |62 |609 |60
Higher education (b) |150 |56 |177 |56 |248 |56
(a) Proportion in a category who are members of a trade union or staff association. Those who did not report their membership status are regarded as non-union members.
(b) Figures for each year during this period are not directly comparable in the education sector because of changes in the funding status and hence categorisation of employees in the new
universities.
Source
Labour Force Surveys, 1989, 1990 and 1991
Column 73
Structural Fund
Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what arrangements have been made to ensure that structural fund resources are being made available now to national and local agencies under (a) objective 2 and (b) objective 3.
Miss Widdecombe: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Industry and Energy today.
Penningtons and Pinnacle PR Companies
Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received regarding the recruitment activities of Penningtons and Pinnacle PR companies in the North of England; and if he will undertake an investigation into those activities.
Miss Widdecombe: The Employment Department was made aware in July 1994 of articles in local newspapers about Penningtons and Pinnacle PR. The Employment Service was informed and asked all jobcentres if they had received any complaints have been received.
In addition, the Employment Department's head of information wrote to Penningtons on 20 July 1994 seeking more information. There has been no response.
WALES
Sheep
13. Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the current population of sheep
Column 74
in the Principality (a) at the latest available date, (b) 10 years ago and (c) 20 years ago; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Gwilym Jones: It is estimated that there were 11,100,000 sheep in 1994 compared with 9,000,000 in 1984 and 6,700,000 in 1974.
Traffic Congestion
15. Mr. Dafis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received on road traffic reductions; and if he will make a statement on what measures he proposes to reduce road traffic and congestion.
Mr. Gwilym Jones: Several, and our policies are set out in "Roads in Wales: 1994 Review" published in July.
Unemployment
16. Mr. John Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the change in the level of unemployment since December 1992.
Mr. Redwood: At September 1994, seasonally adjusted unemployment in Wales stood at 117,800. This represents a fall of 15,400 or 11.6 per cent. since December 1992.
Old Industrial Areas
17. Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on his plans for the regeneration of old industrial areas of Wales.
Mr. Redwood: I am using the full range of my Department's responsibilities in conjunction with local
Column 75
government and the development agencies to promote the successful regeneration of old industrial areas of Wales.Incomes
18. Mr. Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average income per capita in Wales as a percentage of the United Kingdom average; and what were the equivalent figures in 1979.
Mr. Gwilym Jones: The most comprehensive measure of income is gross domestic product. The latest available data are for 1992, when GDP per head in Wales was 86.1 per cent. of the United Kingdom figure. In 1979, it was 86.2 per cent. However, since 1985, GDP per capita in Wales has grown faster than in any part of the United Kingdom.
Coal Industry
19. Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the future of the coal industry in Wales.
Mr. Redwood: Arrangements for the transfer of British Coal's operations in Wales to the private sector are currently under way. I am confident that this will secure a healthy long-term future for the industry.
Government Efficiency
Mr. Thurnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he is taking to improve the efficiency of government in Wales.
Mr. Gwilym Jones: The Welsh Office has secured legislation to reorganise the structure of local government, and imposed tighter controls on the management of the executive public bodies in Wales. Within the Welsh Office a wide range of measures are being taken to improve efficiency, including market testing and the rationalisation of accommodation. The Welsh Office's programme of market testing will continue to contribute to improving economy and efficiency.
Milk Quota
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has had from the farming unions, landowners' organisations and the professional bodies in relation to delays in processing of milk quota transactions; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood: I have received representations from the National Farmers Union about delays in processing milk quota transactions.
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what progress he has made in setting up improvements in computer systems for handling milk quota movements and leasing and transfer applications; what is the average length of time currently taken to process (a) a quota leasing transaction and (b) a permanent quota transfer application; and what consultation he has had with the Intervention Board and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors regarding the delayed processing of quota transactions.
Mr. Redwood: This is a matter for the Intervention Board executive agency.
The current backlog was caused by delays in the transfer of up-to-date information from the milk marketing boards to the Intervention Board. These have
Column 76
now been resolved and I understand that the Intervention Board expects to clear the backlog by the end of October. Thereafter they aim to turn both leasing and transfer confirmations round in two weeks.My officials have been in regular touch with the Intervention Board and have been present at discussions, which also included representatives of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, on a variety of matters concerning the operation of the milk quota system.
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultation he has had with the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce concerning delays in processing of milk quota transfers.
Mr. Redwood: My officials are in touch regularly with the Intervention Board on all matters relating to its operation of the milk quota system.
Community Health Council
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) on how many occasions in the past 10 years has any proposed member of a community health council, who is a former employee of the NHS been debarred from membership of that council on grounds related to previous dismissal from the NHS; if such procedures to debar appointment to the council are made by his Department autonomously, or on application from the relevant health authority or family health service authority; and if he will make a statement;
(2) on how many occasions suspended or sacked previous employees of a health authority have been refused membership of community health councils for the same area; if he will list the persons involved; whether representations were made (a) on their behalf and (b) against their appointment; if so, by whom; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood: I have no record of this information. Appointments to membership of community health councils are governed by the Community Health Councils Regulations 1985 (SI 1985 No 304), as amended by the Community Health Councils (Amendment) Regulations 1990 (SI 1990 No 1375).
Grant-maintained Schools
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list applications for the funding of severance pay, and early retirement from grant-maintained status schools in Wales in 1993 94.
Mr. Redwood: Details of the individuals involved are confidential. During the 1993 94 financial year severance pay was approved in respect of two teachers and early retirement for three.
Mid-Glamorgan Family HealthService Authority
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to appoint the new chairman of the Mid-Glamorgan family health service authority.
Mr. Redwood: I expect to make an announcement shortly.
Column 77
Trainee Teachers
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales and the Curriculum and Assessment Council for Wales in relation to monitoring in schools and colleges for trainee teachers.
Mr. Redwood: None. The Higher Education Funding Council for Wales has responsibility for the funding and assessment of quality of initial teacher training courses provided by higher education institutions in Wales. Its powers were extended by the Education Act 1994 to allow it to fund initial training provided by schools and to assess the quality of that training. I have written to the chairman of the HEFCW with some broad guidance on the council's remit in this area. The council is required under the 1994 Act, to have regard to evidence from Her Majesty's chief
Column 78
inspectors of schools in Wales about the quality of training provision. The council is also required to have regard to other assessments of quality as appear appropriate or to which it is directed by me.The Curriculum and Assessment Council for Wales has no statutory responsibility in the assessment of quality of initial training.
Training and Enterprise Councils
Mr. Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the budget agreed with each TEC in Wales for 1994 1995 broken down by programme area.
Mr. Richards: The budgets made available to each training and enterprise council in Wales, by programme area, are shown on the following table.
TEC Budgets 1994-95
|Gwent |Mid Glamorgan |South Glamorgan |West Wales |Powys |North East Wales|Targed |Total
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Youth Training |5.939 |7.389 |4.101 |9.888 |1.659 |3.335 |5.330 |37.641
Credits (Transitional) |- |0.767 |0.250 |1.000 |- |0.663 |- |2.680
Credits (Development) |- |- |0.250 |- |- |- |0.550 |0.800
|---- |---- |---- |---- |---- |---- |---- |----
YT/Credits (Total) |5.939 |8.156 |4.601 |10.888 |1.659 |3.998 |5.880 |41.121
Work Related FE |1.192 |1.170 |0.850 |2.127 |0.317 |0.631 |0.986 |7.273
Education/Business Links |0.194 |0.230 |0.188 |0.406 |0.142 |0.166 |0.201 |1.527
Careers Information |0.010 |0.010 |0.010 |0.017 |0.005 |0.009 |0.011 |0.072
|---- |---- |---- |---- |---- |---- |---- |----
Education/Business Total |0.204 |0.240 |0.198 |0.423 |0.147 |0.175 |0.212 |1.599
Training for Work (Fees) |4.787 |5.116 |3.403 |6.153 |0.850 |1.660 |3.269 |25.238
Learning for Work (Fees) |0.099 |0.130 |0.100 |0.138 |0.014 |0.050 |0.077 |0.608
Skill Choice |- |- |- |- |- |- |0.700 |0.700
Business/Enterprise |1.231 |1.440 |1.111 |2.658 |0.438 |1.043 |1.329 |9.250
Local Initiative Fund |0.413 |0.390 |0.249 |0.392 |0.175 |0.200 |0.211 |2.028
TEC Challenge |- |- |- |- |- |- |0.120 |0.120
|---- |---- |---- |---- |---- |---- |---- |----
Total |1.643 |1.830 |1.360 |3.050 |0.612 |1.243 |1.660 |11.398
Out of School Childcare |0.135 |0.140 |0.135 |0.133 |0.093 |0.084 |0.084 |0.805
TEC Admin Costs |1.483 |1.610 |1.312 |2.281 |0.533 |1.097 |1.170 |9.485
TEC Total |10.596 |13.146 |8.455 |18.902 |3.362 |7.228 |10.692 |72.381
Excludes funding for coal mitigation measures and modern engineering apprenticeships as contracted figures have not yet been agreed.
Column 77
Welsh Health InternationalMr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of the Welsh Health Common Services Authority, the Health Promotion Authority for Wales and the Welsh development agency concerning the future of the Welsh Health Development International.
Housing
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date the proposal for a housing association ombudsman for Wales was rejected; what consultations took place prior to its rejection; and if he will make a statement.
Column 78
Mr. Redwood: I concluded that the small number and the nature of complaints coming forward in Wales did not justify such an ombudsman service. Housing for Wales had already taken a lead in resolving tenants' complaints. That decision was communicated to Housing for Wales on 6 April 1994.
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of Tai Cymru in relation to the working party set up jointly with the Welsh Federation of Housing Associations with respect to guidance on rent setting; what provisions he has made to ensure equivalence between secure and assured tenants housing associations; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultation he has had with the chairman of Tai
Column 79
Cymru in relation to the guidelines for housing association rental levels, where rent assessment committees set the rent above the assured rent levels.Mr. Redwood: None. Housing for Wales guidance to associations, however, is that where the rent assessment committee sets a rent above that which the housing association wishes to charge the association need not move to a higher rent determined by a committee, even though that would be the assured rent.
Grant Thornton Inquiry
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of the Welsh Development Agency concerning the date of (a) completion and (b) publication of the Grant Thornton inquiry into the Welsh Development Agency land assembly arrangement for Tesco plc.
M4
Mr. Gareth Wardell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will improve junction 46 on the M4 to permit eastbound traffic to exit at the junction and westbound traffic to gain access at the junction.
Mr. Gwilym Jones: My right hon. Friend has no plans to improve junction 46 on the M4.
Botanical Gardens
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library a copy of the consultant's report into the cost benefit analysis of the Welsh national botanical gardens and any papers comparing alternative locations for the garden.
Mr. Redwood: My Department has commissioned consultants to consider the feasibility of establishing a national botanic garden for Wales. Their report is expected before the end of the year and a copy will be placed in the Library of the House.
Blood Transfusion Service
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of the Welsh Health Common Services Authority in relation to the future of the National Blood Transfusion Service in Wales and its chain of command and departmental health authority reporting structure; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood: None. At my request, the Welsh Health Common Services Authority and the National Blood Transfusion Service (Wales) are undertaking a review of future management arrangements of the NBTS(W). A report of the review will be submitted to my officials in due course.
Cardiff Royal Infirmary
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date he received the consultants' report on the implementation of fire prevention works at Cardiff royal infirmary from South Glamorgan health authority; and if he will place a copy in the Library.
Mr. Redwood: I have not yet seen a copy of the report, which was commissioned by South Glamorgan health
Column 80
authority. The director of the Welsh Office Health Department has seen a copy in the course of discussions with senior staff of the health authority. Any inquiries about the report should be directed to South Glamorgan health authority. I would expect it to be published shortly.Patients
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to issue new guidelines in relation to the permissible circumstances for switching from private patient status to NHS or vice versa; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood: The guidance on private practice in NHS hospitals, which includes matters to do with the patient's right to change status, is currently being reviewed. It will be revised where necessary to ensure that it is clear and up to date.
Highways Directorate
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to complete his options review of agency status for the highways directorate of his Department.
Mr. Redwood: I am currently considering the future status of the highways directorate of my Department and will make an announcement in due course.
Incentive Prescribing
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales that representations he has received in relation to the setting up of pilot projects in incentive prescribing in Wales; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood: Specific proposals for prescribing incentive schemes have been received from seven family health services authorities. Four have been approved, two have been referred back to the FHSAs concerned and one is under consideration.
Health Promotion
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with health authorities and local authorities in relation to health promotion and the future of the Health Promotion Authority for Wales and its funding and functions.
Mr. Redwood: I have arranged a full review of national health promotion in Wales as part of the regular re-examination of public bodies. This will focus in particular on the role, responsibilities and future funding of the Health Promotion Authority for Wales. The views of a cross- section of interest including health authorities and local authorities have been sought and will be considered. The review will be concluded by the end of this year.
Welsh Economic Council
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the date of, and the agenda for, the next meeting of the Welsh Economic Council and place copies of the supporting documentation in the Library.
Column 81
Mr. Redwood: The next meeting of the Welsh Economic Council will be held on Monday 25 July.
The agenda for the meeting comprises two topics for discussion: communications, and business and the environment.
I will ask the Welsh Economic Council if any of the supporting documents may be placed in the Library of the House.
Ministerial Speeches
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to place in the Library copies of all speeches he, or other Ministers in his Department, make on matters for which he has departmental responsibility in the period 21 July to 16 October.
Mr. Redwood: Arrangements will be made for copies of speeches made by Ministers in my Department in a public forum, which make policy statements, to be placed in the Library of the House.
Special Advisers
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State (1) how many special advisers have (a) joined and (b) left his Department in each of the last five years;
(2) how many special advisers who left his Department in each of the last five years because (a) management consultants and (b) joined a firm of consultants; and
(3) if he will publish the names of the employers joined by special advisers who left his Department in each of the last five years.
Mr. Redwood: [holding answer 21 July 1994]: There is no requirement for special advisers to provide details of their employers after leaving Government service.
| Next Section
| Home Page |