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Non-advanced Further Education Joint Consultative Group

Open Tech Programme: Steering Group

Quality Standards Group

Royal Commission on the Distribution on Income and Wealth Services Resettlement Committee

Special Employment Measures Advisory Group

30 Special Programme Board and Area Boards

Technical and Vocational Educational Initiative National Steering Group

Training and Further Education Consultative Group

Training of Trainers Advisory Group

Tripartite Steering Group on Job Satisfaction

Youth Training Board

Youth Training Board Advisory Group on Content and Standards Your Training Scheme Certification Board

Tribunals

Levy Exemption Referees

Mr. Sykes: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many quangos his Department was responsible for (a) in 1979 (b) in the latest year for which a number is available.

Miss Widdecombe: Details of the public bodies associated with the Employment Department group in 1979 were published in the "Report on Non- departmental Public Bodies" (the "Pliatzky Report") Cmnd 7797 January 1980. In that year the Department was responsible for: 68 Executive bodies (including 34 Wages Councils and 24 Industry Training Bodies);

386 Advisory bodies (including 220 District Advisory Committees created under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944; 125 District Manpower Committees; and 28 Special Programme Area Boards); 4 Tribunals (including the Civil Service Arbitration Tribunal which was incorrectly classified as an advisory body in 1979). The Department is currently responsible for:

11 Executive bodies;

64 Advisory bodies (including 60 Committees for the Employment of Disabled People);

4 Tribunals.

Details will be published in the 1994 edition of "Public Bodies" later this year.

None of these figures include the range of advisory committees to the Health and Safety Commission--currently numbering 22--which were incorrectly listed as advisory non-departmental public bodies in 1979. These committees do not have NDPB status and were removed from "Public Bodies" in 1991.

Skills Levels

Mr. Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is Britain's position in the World Economic Forum's skills league table.

Miss Widdecombe: The United Kingdom was ranked 18th, in respect of the availability of skilled people, out of the 41 countries covered in the World Economic Forum's "World Competitiveness Report, 1994". However the forum's findings are based on limited statistical evidence and put Japan well below the Philippines.


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Employers

Mr. Bryan Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his Department's estimate of the number of employers with 200 or more employees in each training and enterprise council area.

Mr. Oppenheim: The available information relates to individual workplaces, not employers. The number of workplaces in each training and enterprise council area with more than 200 employees at September 1991 is shown in the following table:


TEC                                     |Units      

----------------------------------------------------

Hampshire                               |364        

Heart of England                        |121        

Isle of Wight                           |14         

Kent                                    |308        

Milton Keynes and North Buckinghamshire |60         

Surrey                                  |215        

Sussex                                  |276        

Thames Valley Enterprise                |329        

Bedfordshire                            |131        

CAMBSTEC                                |104        

Essex                                   |277        

Greater Peterborough                    |71         

Hertfordshire                           |234        

Norfolk and Waveney                     |189        

Suffolk                                 |121        

Aztec                                   |129        

CENTEC                                  |622        

CILNTEC                                 |320        

London East                             |239        

North London                            |134        

North West London                       |95         

SOLOTEC                                 |223        

South Thames                            |236        

West London                             |276        

Avon                                    |251        

Devon and Cornwall                      |222        

Dorset                                  |128        

Gloucestershire                         |118        

Somerset                                |92         

Wiltshire                               |162        

Birmingham                              |284        

Central England                         |95         

Coventry and Warwickshire               |191        

Dudley                                  |53         

HAWTEC                                  |84         

Sandwell                                |89         

Shropshire                              |85         

Staffordshire                           |216        

Walsall                                 |61         

Wolverhampton                           |63         

Greater Nottingham                      |160        

Leicestershire                          |224        

Lincolnshire                            |90         

North Derbyshire                        |66         

North Nottinghamshire                   |95         

Northamptonshire                        |145        

South Derbyshire                        |123        

Barnsley and Doncaster                  |102        

Bradford and District                   |114        

Calderdale and Kirklees                 |120        

Humberside                              |183        

Leeds                                   |206        

North Yorkshire                         |138        

Rotherham                               |56         

Sheffield                               |118        

Wakefield                               |78         

CEWTEC                                  |100        

Cumbria                                 |91         

ELTEC                                   |126        

LAWTEC                                  |184        

Merseyside                              |191        

NorMidTEC                               |121        

QUALITEC                                |37         

Bolton and Bury                         |97         

Manchester                              |348        

METROTEC                                |60         

Oldham                                  |45         

Rochdale                                |34         

South and East Cheshire                 |79         

Stockport and High Peak                 |73         

County Durham                           |117        

Northumberland                          |44         

Teesside                                |117        

Tyneside                                |208        

Wearside                                |63         

Gwent                                   |91         

Mid Glamorgan                           |123        

North East Wales                        |70         

North West Wales                        |45         

Powys                                   |10         

South Glamorgan                         |130        

West Wales                              |124        

The table excludes Agriculture and Horticulture (Standard Industrial Classification 80, Activity Heading 0100).

Labour Statistics

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list those parliamentary constituencies where the current level of unemployment is lower than in November 1990.

Mr. Oppenheim: The information requested is available from NOMIS database in the Library.

Construction Site Safety

Sir David Steel: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will consider amending the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to allow the police the power to enforce its prescriptions with regard to ensuring proper supervision and securing of construction sites to ensure the safety of the general public.

Mr. Oppenheim: I am satisfied that existing arrangements for enforcement of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 on construction sites and elsewhere are adequate and efficient. I have no plans to amend the legislation.

Chemical Poisoning

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many workplace incidents have resulted in death from chemical poisoning in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years.

Mr. Oppenheim: The following table shows the number of workplace incidents in the United Kingdom, as reported to enforcement authorities, which resulted in death from chemical poisoning:


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Year (Commencing     |Number of Incidents |Number of Fatalities                     

1 April                                                                             

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1988-89              |13                  |13                                       

1989-90              |7                   |8                                        

1990-91              |14                  |18                                       

1991-92              |11                  |12                                       

1992-93              |7                   |8                                        

These figures do not include deaths as a result of long-term exposure to chemicals, deaths arising from chemical poisoning reported to Her Majesty's inspectorate of mines, nor to local authorities in Great Britain for which figures are not readily available. Chemical poisoning is defined as exposure to, or asphyxiation by, chemicals and fumes, including natural fumes such as methane in sewers.

Compensation Claims

Mrs. Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment in how many cases compensation claims to industrial tribunals have exceeded the upper limit laid down by the Government in the past two years; and how many have been settled at or above the limit.

Mr. Oppenheim: I regret that the information is not available.

Mrs. Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what plans he has to review compensation arrangements for successful applicants against unfair dismissal who win their cases in an industrial tribunal;

(2) when he last reviewed the upper limit for compensation imposed on claims for unfair dismissal settled in the applicant's favour at an industrial tribunal; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Oppenheim: Following the last review, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State announced on 17 October 1994, in--"Limits on guaranteed payment and limits on a weeks pay; A report by the Secretary of State for Employment", HC 664, that the limits used for calculating unfair dismissal compensation were not to be


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changed. The outcome of the next review will be announced next year.

Dr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many public appointments (a) he is responsible for making and (b) require his approval, including those not listed in "Public Bodies"; and if he will give this figure in terms of (i) appointments to executive bodies, (ii) appointments to advisory bodies and (iii) other appointments.

Miss Widdecombe [pursuant to the reply, 27 October 1994, c. 840]: I regret that figures quoted in my reply of 27 October 1994, were incorrect. The figures for public appointments which were stated to be taken from "Public Bodies 1993" also took account of a number of changes since its publication.

The figures listed in "Public Bodies 1993" are as follows: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Employment is responsible for 3,434 appointments, including some which require his approval. A total of 221 of these are to executive bodies, 789 to advisory bodies and 2,424 to other appointments.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Animal Transportation

Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has held and intends to hold with hauliers in relation to provisions for carrying small livestock.

Mrs. Browning: Officials have held one meeting with the various interests concerned with the carriage of small livestock by courier service. No further meetings are currently planned.

Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many livestock animals were classed as unfit to travel in each year since 1989.

Mrs. Browning: The available information is given in the following table, excluding 1993 when no figures were available. The figures relate to animals inspected prior to export from Great Britain.


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Farm animals rejected as unfit for transport following veterinary inspection                                  

                          |1989         |1990         |1991         |1992         |1994 March to              

                                                                                  |September                  

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cattle (including Calves) |1,078        |839          |906          |1,257        |1,654                      

Sheep                     |6,950        |5,527        |13,722       |26,813       |13,083                     

Pigs                      |2            |-            |17           |-            |632                        

Goats                     |-            |-            |-            |2            |2                          

Totals                    |8,030        |6,366        |14,645       |28,072       |15,371                     

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list by country the number of bovine spongiform encephalopathy affected herds in member states of the European Union.

Mrs. Browning: The numbers of herds affected by BSE in member states of the European Union are not available. However, we understand that the numbers of cases of the disease in each member state as at 11 November 1994, or otherwise if specified, are as follows:


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Member State                   |Number                   

---------------------------------------------------------

Belgium                        |-                        

Denmark                        |1                        

France (to 1 September 1994)   |9                        

Germany                        |4                        

Greece                         |-                        

Ireland (to 21 September 1994) |97                       

Italy                          |2                        

Luxembourg                     |-                        

Netherlands                    |-                        

Portugal                       |10                       

Spain                          |-                        

United Kingdom                 |139,893                  


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Viral Haemorrhagic Disease

Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether approval for a vaccine for viral haemorrhagic disease will be under consideration at the next meeting of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate.

Mrs. Browning: I believe that the hon. Member has in mind the Veterinary Products Committee. I announced on Friday 18 November that a provisional licence for a vaccine against viral haemorrhagic disease in rabbits had been issued the previous day, following advice from the committee.

Bovine Somatotropin

Sir Richard Body: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the papers submitted to the Committee for Veterinary Medicinal Products before they considered their advice to him on the use of BST.

Mrs. Browning: The EC Committee for Veterinary Medicinal Products does not directly advise Ministers, but publishes formal opinions on dossiers submitted to it in accordance with directive 87/22/EEC. In the case of the two applications for BST its "Opinions and Evaluation Report" was published on 1 February 1993. Copies are available in the House Library as part of the consultation package on BST issued on 28 April 1994.

In assessing dossiers the committee considers all available information, both published and unpublished, but details of the data it receives remain confidential in accordance with article 3(1) of the directive.

Food Colourings

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what consideration has been given by United Kingdom approved authorities to bans on the use of E124 ponceau 4R in Norway and the United States for reasons of health risk to asthmatics, in relation to permitting use in the United Kingdom;

(2) what consideration has been given to bans on the use of E110 sunset yellow colouring in Norway and Finland by United Kingdom approved authorities in relation to permitting use in the United Kingdom;

(3) what consideration has been given by United Kingdom approved authorities to bans on the use of E104 quinine yellow food additive in Norway, the United States, Australia and Japan for reasons of hyperactivity, in relation to permitting use in the United Kingdom.

Mrs. Browning: We are aware that the colours E104, E110 and E120 can give rise to adverse reactions in a small minority of the population. Nevertheless, each of these colours has been assessed as acceptable for use in food both by United Kingdom and by EC expert scientific committees, and they are listed as permitted colours in the EU colours directive.

As a general rule we do not ban the use of food additives which may cause intolerance reactions to a small number of individuals. But statutory ingredient labelling requires the presence of colours to be declared--and this should enable affected individuals to avoid food containing additives to which they react.

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consideration has been given by the United Kingdom approval authorities


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to the use of food colourings by Messrs Mars in their food product M & Ms.

Mrs. Browning: All the food colourings used in this product have been subject to safety evaluations by expert scientific committees both in the United Kingdom and in the European Union. Such evaluations form the basis of food additive regulation.

Hill Farmers

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to encourage hill farmers under 40 years to remain on the land.

Mr. Jack: Under the EC side of the farming and conservation grant scheme an enhanced rate of grant has been payable to established young farmers under the age of 40 who have taken out improvement plans. Farmer in less-favoured areas, which cover most upland areas in England, regardless of age may be eligible for higher rates of grant under the farm and conservation grant scheme. They are also entitled to hill livestock compensatory allowances and an additional supplement to the sheep annual premium scheme.

Fishing

Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many fishing boats have been or are being decommissioned in each of the registered ports in the United Kingdom; what is the total estimated cost; what proportion this is of his targets in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Jack: The following table sets out the number of vessels decommissioned under the 1993 scheme, and those declared successful under the 1994 scheme:


                               |Number in    |Number in                  

Country          |Port         |1993         |1994                       

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

England          |Brixham      |5            |6                          

                 |Fleetwood    |10           |10                         

                 |Grimsby      |13           |14                         

                 |Hastings     |5            |10                         

                 |Lowestoft    |5            |12                         

                 |Newlyn       |2            |7                          

                 |North Shields|17           |23                         

                 |Plymouth     |4            |7                          

                 |Poole        |1            |4                          

                                                                         

                 |Sub-total    |62           |93                         

                                                                         

Scotland         |Arbroath     |3            |1                          

                 |Ayr          |4            |9                          

                 |Buckie       |4            |9                          

                 |Campbeltown  |2            |7                          

                 |Eyemouth     |8            |1                          

                 |Fraserburgh  |2            |2                          

                 |Lerwick      |3            |-                          

                 |Lossiemouth  |7            |5                          

                 |Macduff      |-            |2                          

                 |Mallaig      |4            |4                          

                 |Oban         |-            |1                          

                 |Peterhead    |3            |-                          

                 |Pittenweem   |2            |1                          

                 |Portree      |-            |1                          

                 |Scrabster    |1            |2                          

                 |Stornoway    |1            |2                          

                 |Ullapool     |1            |1                          

                 |Wick         |-            |1                          

                                                                         

                 |Sub-total    |45                                       

                                                                         

Northern Ireland |Ardglass     |1            |2                          

                 |Belfast      |-            |1                          

                 |Kilkeel      |10           |5                          

                 |Portavogie   |17           |5                          

                 |Sub-total                                              

                               |28           |13                         

                                                                         

Wales            |Caernarfon   |-            |2                          

                 |Milford Haven|-            |2                          

                 |Sub-total                                              

                               |-            |4                          

                                                                         

                 |Total        |135          |159                        

Expenditure on the 1993 and 1994 schemes is expected to total 16.7 million. I am encouraged that between them they will remove 4.8 per cent. of the fleet, assuming that all vessels successful in this year's tender are scrapped. With £8.3 million still available for next year, I am confident of exceeding my estimate of at least 5 per cent. for the whole programme to which column 417 of the Official Report for 7 July 1993 refers.

Timberwolf Crossbreed Dogs

Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many reported incidents of attacks on livestock by timberwolf crossbreed dogs there have been in each of the last four years.

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 21 November 1994]: The Ministry has no records of attacks on livestock by timberwolf crossbreed dogs.


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