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Residential HomesArbour House, 16 Great George's Street South, Warrenpoint Coach House, Mourne Grange Camphill Village Community,
Newry Road, Kilkeel
Glenbeigh House, 18 Victoria Square, Rostrevor
Glencarron, 6 Creamery Road, Crossmaglen
Moneydarragh Lodge, 8 Kilkeel Road, Annalong
Mourne Grange Camphill Village Community, Newry Road,
Kilkeel
Our Mother of Mercy, 1 Home Avenue, Newry
Peacehaven, 38 Newry Street, Rathfriland
Sennen House, Rostrevor, Warrenpoint
St. Joseph's, Prince's Street, Warrenpoint
Seafort House, 6 Queen's Street, Warrenpoint
Brendan Smyth
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will explain the meaning and purpose of the Royal Ulster Constabulary's request on 2 December 1993 to the Irish
Attorney-General to be told in due course that the warrant had been endorsed in respect of Brendan Smyth.
Sir John Wheeler [holding answer 28 November 1994]: By its letter of 2 December to the Commissioner of the Garda Siochana, the RUC inquired whether the warrants in respect of Brendan Smyth had been backed for execution. The RUC was not at that time aware that he might voluntarily return to Northern Ireland.
The Banks Residential Home
Sir James Kilfedder: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what formal proposals he has received about the future of The Banks residential home, Bangor; what is the nature of any such proposals; and what is the timescale for considering them.
Mr. Moss [holding answer 28 November 1994]: I have been asked to approve a proposal from the North Down and Ards Community trust that "The Banks" should close. I have recently visited the home and met local interests and I will announce my decision as quickly as possible.
The trust has said that, if the closure is agreed, it will explore the possibility of identifying a buyer for the building who would be willing to build a nursing home and accommodate all existing residents.
NATIONAL HERITAGE
National Lottery
Mr. Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what steps he is taking to monitor the economic impact of the national lottery.
Mr. Dorrell: The national lottery has already been a great success, with £25 million raised for good causes in the first two weeks, and I expect this to continue. My Department, together with the bodies responsible for distributing lottery proceeds, will naturally be monitoring how those proceeds are spent.
Mr. Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage whether those national lottery proceeds
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administered by the Arts Council can be distributed to film projects.Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage where funds from the national lottery destined for distribution to the good causes but not yet paid to applicants are held; what assumptions have been made about rates of interest accruing; and who will receive any such interest.
Mr. Dorrell: Proceeds from the national lottery are held in the national lottery distribution fund pending draw down by the good causes. The investment of the fund is the responsibility of the National Debt Commissioners. Interest gains received by the fund will be at a rate consistent with those normally achieved by risk-free investments. All the interest gained by the investment of the fund will be attributed equitably to the good causes and add to the sum of the proceeds available for distribution.
Sir David Steel: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) if he will give instructions that national lottery tickets should be available at Selkirk, Melrose, Lauder, Earlston and Newton St. Boswells.
(2) if he will give instructions that national lottery tickets should be available at Innerleithen, Walkerburn, West Linton and Broughton.
Mr. Dorrell: This is an operational matter for Camelot Group plc. I have therefore asked Peter Davis, the Director-General of the national lottery, who is responsible for regulating the operation of the lottery, to write to the hon. Gentleman, placing copies of his response in the Libraries of the House.
Millennium Fund Commissioners
Mr. Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage whether the millennium fund commissioners can distribute money to private companies or individuals.
Mr. Dorrell: Directions have been issued to the Millennium Commission under section 26 of the National Lottery etc. Act 1993, concerning matters which the commission should take into account when distributing lottery proceeds. These include the need to ensure that lottery proceeds are distributed to projects which promote the public good and which are not intended primarily for private gain. The Millennium Commission's guidance for applicants, which was issued this week, makes it clear that commercial organisations or those conducted for profit will be eligible if they can demonstrate that their project will promote the public good, and that individuals will not normally be eligible to apply for lottery funds on their own behalf.
Sports and Arts
Mr. Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will make a statement on the future of the Foundation for Sport and the Arts.
Mr. Dorrell: I refer to the hon. Member to the Budget statement made by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer today.
Tourism
Mr. Pendry: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the completion date of the Touche Ross
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consultants' report on the English tourist board's crown grading scheme; and on what date he expects to respond to it.Mr. Dorrell: A review of the Crown accommodation classification and grading scheme was commissioned by the English tourist board from KPMG Peat Marwick. The work is complete and has been sent to me. I intend to write to the chairman of the ETB very soon.
Mr. Pendry: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what progress he has made on developing a comprehensive strategy for tourism; when he will make his Department's new policies public; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell: I am considering the conclusions which are emerging from work that has been taken forward with the English tourist board and the British Tourist Authority, drawing on the views of the industry. I shall make an announcement in due course.
Bowood House (Correspondence)
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what consideration was given to purchasing items of correspondence from Bowood house for the national archives; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sproat: The national institutions which maintain archives were notified of the recent auction of correspondence from Bowood house. I understand that the National libraries of Scotland and of Wales and the National Maritime museum successfully bid for items they wished to acquire for their archives.
Libraries
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the five local authorities which spend (a) most and (b) least per head of population on library book provision; for the year 1992 93, together with the sums they spent; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sproat: The five local authorities in England spending the most per head of population on library book provision in 1992 93 were ( source CIPFA):
City of London (£129.54), Westminster (£4.34), Lambeth (£3.75), Llanelli (£3.35) and Kingston-Upon-Thames (£3.21).
The five spending least were:
Sheffield (£0.89), Barnsley (£0.87), Hillingdon (£0.78), Wakefield (£0.72) and Brent (£0.34).
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the projected average expenditure for library books per head of population for (a) the United Kingdom as a whole, (b) the English counties, (c) the metropolitan districts and (d) the London boroughs for 1995 96; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sproat: No figures for projected expenditure on library books are yet available for 1995 96.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what was the spending on library books per head of population, measured by the book index (a) in 1981 84 and (b) in 1992 93; and what steps he is taking to increase current expenditure.
Mr. Sproat: Spending per head of population, as measured by the book index used in the national book committee report, was: (a) £1.058 in 1981 84; and
(b) £1.849 in 1992 93
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Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what response he has made to the 12th annual report of the national book committee, a copy of which has been sent to him.
Mr. Sproat: We are currently reviewing the findings of the national book committee report "Public Libraries and their Book Funds".
More generally, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for National Heritage continues to monitor the provision of public library services in England, including book expenditure, by analysing statistics and by investigating complaints; and the Department is prepared to intervene directly where there is doubt about an authority's ability or willingness to fulfil its statutory obligations under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964.
Museum Staff
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many staff employed in each of the museums funded by his Department are from countries within the European Union; and how many from without.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 24 November 1994]: The information is not collected by my Department and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list, in tabular form, the staffing levels, full and part-time, of each of the museums funded by his Department.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 24 November 1994]: The details of staffing levels for museums which my Department holds are not broken down into full and part-time employees. Figures collected in the course of 1994 for total staff numbers at the museums directly funded by my Department are as follows:
|Number
-----------------------------------------------------------
Royal Armouries |134
British Museum |1,079
Imperial War Museum |425
National Gallery |430
National Maritime Museum |350
National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside |560
National Museum of Science and Industry |589
National Portrait Gallery |125
Natural History Museum |825
Tate Gallery |506
Victoria and Albert Museum |850
Wallace Collection |67
Geffrye Museum |24
Horniman Museum |80
Museum of London |307
Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester |94
Sir John Soane's Museum |20
TREASURY
Classic Cars
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement concerning his policy in connection with road fund licences for classic cars when they are not being kept for use on public roads.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: In his Budget speech today, my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor gave some further details on the Government's approach to continuous licensing for vehicle excise duty licensing based on possession rather than use of a vehicle. As the Chancellor made plain, in introducing continuous licensing, the Government will not seek to disadvantage those honest motorists, including classic car owners, who do not pay VED now because their cars are genuinely off the road. A consultation document will be issued shortly setting out details of the proposals.
EU Contributions
Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the (a) gross contributions, (b) receipts and (c) net contributions by the United Kingdom to the European Community for each year since 1973; and what are his estimates of those amounts until 2000 assuming current OECD estimates of growth rates and national states tax policies and (i) the adoption and (ii) the non-adoption of the Edinburgh own resources proposals.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: The Government's estimates of the United Kingdom's gross contributions, receipts and net contributions to European Community institutions for the financial year 1973 74 to 1993 94, together with the latest forecast of our contributions up to 1997 98, which take account of the Edinburgh own resources proposals, are set out in the following table. The estimates for the years up to 1999 2000 which my hon. Friend requests are also set out at the foot of the table. These long-term estimates are inevitably more speculative as they extend considerably beyond the period covered by OECD estimates. Financial year forecasts of the United Kingdom's net contributions are subject to wide fluctuations for technical reasons such as the timing of payments. Longer term forecasts must be treated with particular caution.
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United Kingdom's Gross and Net contribution to the EC Budget (£ million)
|Gross |Gross |Net contribution
|contributions |contributions after |after abatement
|before abatement |Negotiated |abatement and |Public sector |refunds and public
Year |of refunds |refunds |Abatement |refunds |receipts |sector receipts
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1973-74 |200 |- |- |200 |104 |96
1974-75 |197 |- |- |197 |232 |-35
1975-76 |370 |- |- |370 |354 |16
1976-77 |544 |- |- |544 |320 |224
1977-78 |941 |- |- |941 |382 |559
1978-79 |1,323 |- |- |1,323 |555 |768
1979-80 |1,665 |- |- |1,665 |781 |884
1980-81 |1,900 |645 |- |1,255 |1,022 |233
1981-82 |2,330 |959 |- |1,371 |1,146 |225
1982-83 |2,820 |774 |- |2,046 |1,308 |737
1983-84 |3,097 |239 |- |2,858 |1,897 |961
1984-85 |3,614 |589 |- |3,025 |1,892 |1,133
1985-86 |3,745 |- |823 |2,922 |1,930 |992
1986-87 |5,121 |- |1,343 |3,778 |2,557 |1,221
1987-88 |4,906 |- |1,137 |3,769 |1,958 |1,811
1988-89 |5,167 |- |1,600 |3,567 |2,400 |1,166
1989-90 |5,804 |- |1,317 |4,487 |2,035 |2,452
1990-91 |6,411 |- |1,838 |4,573 |2,388 |2,185
1991-92 |6,129 |- |2,428 |3,701 |2,757 |943
1992-93 |6,970 |- |1,993 |4,977 |2,810 |2,167
1993-94 |8,407 |- |2,350 |6,057 |3,864 |2,192
1994-95 |8,308 |- |1,899 |6,409 |3,963 |2,446
1995-96 |9,943 |- |2,256 |7,687 |4,293 |3,394
1996-97 |9,910 |- |2,108 |7,802 |4,441 |3,361
1997-98 |10,552 |- |2,744 |7,808 |4,526 |3,282
1998-99 |11,190 |- |<1>3,570 |7,620 |4,640 |2,980
1999-2000 |11,830 |- |3,170 |8,660 |4,930 |3,730
<1> A substantial increase is anticipated in the United Kingdom's abatement to reflect the final correction of an earlier year.
The Government's estimates of the net cost of the Edinburgh own resources proposals are:
|£ million
------------------------------
1994-95 |25
1995-96 |75
1996-97 |100
1997-98 |165
1998-99 |230
1999-2000 |250
Special Advisers
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement concerning the cost to public funds of employing ministerial special advisers in his Department.
Mr. Nelson: My Department employs two special advisers. Salaries for special advisers are negotiated individually in relation to their previous earnings and are confidential. They are, however, normally paid on the special advisers salary spine of 34 points, ranging from £19,503 to £67,609. Appointments are non-pensionable, and the salary spine reflects this.
VAT on Building Works
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to reduce or remove VAT on building works to (a) listed buildings and (b) buildings in conservation areas.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: I have no plans to reduce or remove VAT on building works to listed buildings or buildings in conservation areas.
VAT has been applied at the standard rate to the repair, restoration and maintenance of all buildings since 1973. VAT zero-rating is permitted only for approved alterations to listed buildings.
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ERM and Monetary Union
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what studies he has commissioned on the benefits and losses to Britain arising from (a) returning to the exchange rate mechanism and (b) monetary union; and if he will issue a White Paper giving his own assessment.
Mr. Nelson: My right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor has not commissioned any specific studies on the issues referred to, although naturally he considers carefully advice rendered on future economic policy. The Government have no plans to issue a White Paper on this subject.
Members and Civil Servants
Mr. Peter Bottomley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is, for an out-of-London hon. Member and for a civil service assistant secretary, each with 20 years' reckonable service (a) the normal retirement age, (b) salary, (c) annual pension and (d) the deduction from salary for pension in the last year of employment.
Sir George Young: For a member of Parliament, the pension scheme assumes a normal retirement age of 65, but accrued pension benefits are payable at age 60 to a retired member with 20 years' service. The current parliamentary salary is £31,687. On retirement, taking 30 November 1994 as the last day of service, the pension would be £11, 730, with an option to give up part of the pension to provide a lump sum. The maximum lump sum allowed at 60 would be £37,940, leaving a pension of £8,500. The deductions in the last year of employment would be £1,897, or 6 per cent.
For a civil service assistant secretary grade 5, the normal retirement age depends on the policy of the employing Department, but will be between age 60 and 70. The current salary would be between £36,739 and £54,815. Under principal civil service pension scheme, again assuming 30 November 1994 as the last day of service, the pension would be between £9,064.75 and £13,518.34, together with a lump sum of between
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£27,194.25 and £40,555.02. The deductions from salary in the last year of employment would be between £543.89 and £811.10. A deduction of 1 per cent. of pay is made towards the cost of dependant benefits only. The value of pension provision is taken into account in setting rates of pay.Earnings and Inflation
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for each year since 1978 (a) the average earnings and (b) the average rate of inflation.
Mr. Nelson: The following table gives the information requested on average earnings:
|Average gross
|weekly earnings of
|full-time Adult<1>
|employees<2> Great
|Britain
April of Year |£
---------------------------------------------------------
1978 |79.10
1979 |89.60
1980 |110.20
1981 |124.90
1982 |136.50
1983 |147.40
1984 |159.30
1985 |171.00
1986 |184.70
1987 |198.90
1988 |218.40
1989 |239.70
1990 |263.10
1991 |284.70
1992 |304.60
1993 |316.90
1994 |325.70
Notes:
<1> For 1978 to 1982, figures are compiled on basis of
men aged 21 and over and women aged 18 and over. Since
1983 figures are compiled on the basis of employees on
adult rates.
<2> Figures are average gross weekly earnings of
full-time employees whose pay for the survey period was
not affected by absence:
Source:
Department of Employment; New Earnings Surveys.
The information requested at (b) is available in table 8
of the publication "Retail Prices Index September 1994",
CSO Business Monitor MM23, a copy of which is available
in the Library.
Enhanced Payments
Mr. Redmond: To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to recover enhanced payments made to public officials if there is evidence of incompetence.
Mr. Aitken: None. Performance-related pay or bonuses to public officials will usually reflect performance in a preceding period. The recovery of such payments would not normally be appropriate. A decline in performance might be reflected in future payments or in other action.
Civil Service
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many voluntary resignations from the non-industrial home civil service there have been in each of the last 10 years.
Sir George Young: Information on resignations from the non- industrial home civil service is given in table 7 of
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"Civil Service Statistics", copies of which are in the Library.Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has as to how many civil servants have left the civil service for jobs in the private sector in each of the last 10 years.
Sir George Young: This information is not available.
EU Budget
Mr. Peter Shore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his circular letter to hon. Members of 11 November, what was his estimate of the United Kingdom's gross payment to the EC in 1999; what was his estimate of the average annual growth of United Kingdom gross domestic product between 1995 96 and 1999; and what was his estimate of annual average growth of community gross domestic product in the same period.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 25 November 1994]: The United Kingdom's gross contribution to the European Community after abatement is expected to be £8,660 million by 1999 2000. These long- term estimates are inevitably speculative as they go considerably beyond the period covered by OECD estimates which were used in the table contained in my answer on 23 November to a question from the hon. Member for Southport (Mr. Banks), Official Report , columns 155-58 .
The average annual growth rate assumptions used in making this forecast are consistent with the assumptions which will be announced in the Budget.
VAT on Fuel
Mr. Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the increase in VAT on fuel from April 1995 on the inflation rate.
Mr. Nelson [holding answer 24 November 1994]: It is estimated that the increase in VAT on domestic fuel and power in April 1995 will add just over 0.4 per cent. to the retail prices index. Inflation is expected to remain well within the Government's target range 1 4 per cent. through the course of 1995. The imposition of VAT on domestic fuel and power is essential to raise revenue and to encourage energy conservation, contributing to Rio commitments on global warming.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Bi-valve Molluscs
Mr. Steen: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how directive 91/492/EEC is implemented in the Netherlands and in France; and what assessment he has made of the nature of the monitoring of that directive and whether it is as rigorous on the continent as it is in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Jack: It is for the European Commission to keep track of such matters and to assess the effectiveness of any supporting procedures, such as monitoring in this case. We ourselves have little information on the progress of implementation of directive 91/492/EEC in other member states. There is not independent check that we can usefully apply.
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Bovine Immuno-deficiency Virus
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has considered reports that the former milk marketing board refused to take milk for reasons of BIV from a cow herd which itself was in part subsequently slaughtered for use in meat products; and whether he will make a statement.
Mrs. Browning: Infection with bovine immunodeficiency virus--BIV--is neither notifiable nor reportable and the disposal of infected animals is the responsibility of the owner of the animals. Infection with BIV should not preclude any bovine animals, which are not showing signs of disease, going for slaughter for human consumption subject to the normal ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections and other statutory controls on slaughterhouse operations, nor should it preclude the milk from such animals going for human consumption. In March this year, the milk marketing board decided to stop buying milk from a farm where there were cattle with serological evidence of exposure to BIV. The then Minister reviewed this decision, as required by the milkmarketing scheme, and decided not to uphold it on the ground that the board had gone outside its powers in the scheme.
Agricultural Land
Mr. David Nicholson: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the amount of grade one agricultural land accepted for building development in each of the last five years.
Mr. Jack: This information is not held centrally and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.
Cows
Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the relationship between ovarian cysts, mastitis in cows and doses of BST administered to cows.
Mrs. Browning: Such issues were covered in the safety assessment carried out by the Veterinary Products Committee and the Medicines Commission, in advising the licensing authority on the two applications received for licences for BST products.
Flooding
Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportions of the costs of flooding in the last 12 months for which figures are available can be attributed to increased run-off from land.
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