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Consultants
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 13 December, Official Report , column 606 , if he will list the number of consultants employed, and at what total cost, by his Department in 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992.
Mr. Redwood: Details of management and other consultants engaged by the Welsh Office are as follows:
|Number of |Total payments
occasions |(£000s)
------------------------------------------------------------
1989-90 |8 |342
1990-91 |24 |229
1991-92 |38 |1,109
1992-93 |74 |1,416
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 13 December, Official Report column 606 , if he will institute a system for the central collection of information on the use of consultants by non-departmental public bodies in Wales, and of monitoring its effectiveness and for the issuing of guidelines with respect to controlling the use of consultants.
Mr. Redwood: No, these would be additional costs to the Welsh Office and NDPBs to set up a system for central collection.
Countryside Council for Wales
Mr. Ron Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the attendance record of each member of the board of the Countryside Council for Wales since its inception in 1991.
Mr. Redwood: Details of the current members' attendance at meetings of the Countryside Council for Wales since 1 April 1991 are as follows:
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Name ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mr. E. M. W. Griffith (Chairman) |26 out of possible 26 Professor D. Q. Bowen (Deputy Chairman) |23 out of possible 26 Professor D. Bellamy |22 out of possible 26 Mr. M. Chambers |24 out of possible 26 Dr. W. A. Evans |23 out of possible 26 Mr. T. Jones |20 out of possible 26 Dr. S. Ormerod |19 out of possible 23 Mr. B. K. Thomas |14 out of possible 19 Dr. L. Warren |10 out of possible 12 Mr. M. Williams |23 out of possible 26
Blood
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has for ensuring co-ordination of the activities of the National Blood Transfusion Service (Wales) with that of (a) the National Blood Authority and (b) the Scottish Blood Transfusion Authority; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood: Discussions between Welsh Office and Department of Health Officials about the future relationship between NBTS(W) and the NBA are on-going. There has been no direct contact with the SBTA.
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of the Welsh Health Consumer Services Authority concerning the future capital and revenue funding for the National Blood Transfusion Service (Wales); what consultations he has had in relation to the command and control system for the collection and processing of blood from north, mid and west Wales; and what consultations he has had in relation to the demands from hospitals and other providers with respect to the ordering of blood supplies from the National Blood Transfusion Service (Wales).
Mr. Redwood: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 17 October, Official Report, column 80. Management of the collection and processing of blood in north Wales is the responsibility of the NBA.
Cardiff Community Health Council
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his current estimate of the date for hearing the appeal with respect to the nomination of Alan Trew to the Cardiff community health council.
Mr. Redwood: The two-year disqualification period ended on 14 December 1994. Therefore, Mr. Trew may now apply to me in writing at any time to remove his disqualification for membership of the CHC. There is no requirement to convene a hearing to consider such an application.
Lynon Valley
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for the Vale of Glamorgan (Mr. Sweeney) at 12 December, Official Report, columns 515-16, what legal opinions he has obtained from leading counsel and disclosed to his
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Department in relation to the propriety of participation by the Welsh Development Agency in underwriting or sub- underwriting of (a) Government privatisation share issues and (b) Welsh- based private company stock market flotations; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Redwood: None. My Department's lawyers are currently considering the legal advice obtained by the agency in 1988 and recently revealed to my Department, and whether further legal advice should be sought.
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 12 December, Official Report, columns 515-16, to the hon. Member for the Vale of Glamorgan (Mr. Sweeney), if he will make a statement on the legal and corporate status of joint venture boards in publicly-funded urban regeneration schemes in Wales.
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Mr. Redwood: Joint venture boards set up for the purpose of urban regeneration do not, in general, have separate legal identity.
Planning Policy Guidance
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will issue planning policy guidance notes covering the topics covered by PPG9 Nature Conservation (October 1994), PPG13 Transport and Out of Town Shopping Centres (March 1994), PPG15 Planning and the Historic Environment (September 1994), PPG23 Planning and Pollution Control (July 1994), and PPG24 Planning and Noise (September 1994); and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood: I am considering what planning guidance on these topics it would be appropriate to issue in Wales.
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TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Scottish Consumer Council
Mrs. Ray Michie: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the level of funding for the Scottish Consumer Council in (a) 1991, (b) 1992, (c) 1993 and (d) 1994; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Ian Taylor: The grant-in-aid paid to the Scottish Consumer Council for each year since 1990 91 was:
1990 91: £293,273
1991 92: £307,048
1992 93: £409,944
1993 94: £389,265
Final figures for 1994 95 are not yet available. Note: Figures do not include central costs, such as staff salaries, which are borne by the National Consumer Council. Source: National Consumer Council Annual Reports 1990 91 to 1993 94.
Post Office
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will place in the Library copies of the responses to his consultation paper on the future of the Post Office.
Mr. Eggar: No. These responses were submitted in confidence. However, for a summary of the responses I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Windsor and Maidenhead (Mr. Trend) on 14 December 1994, Official Report, column 658-59.
Foreign Investment
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made on the effect of the level of foreign investment on the amount of net capital employed in United Kingdom manufacturing since 1979.
Mr. Needham: Figures are not available for the amount of foreign net capital employed in United Kingdom manufacturing industry.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many parliamentary questions tabled in the last session of Parliament were not answered on the ground that the information sought was not held centrally by the Department.
Mr. Heseltine: My Department replied on that ground to nine questions tabled during the last Session of Parliament.
Departmental Telephone Calls
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much has been spent on telephone charges and how many telephone calls have been made by his Department for each of the last five years.
Mr. Ian Taylor: Details of departmental charges for telephony for 1989 90 and 1990 91 are not readily available. Comparison of the figures for successive years must be treated with caution as they are affected by major accommodation moves and, for the DTI agencies and regional offices, only include the use of the Government telephone network.
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Year |£ million ------------------------------ 1991-92 |3.2 1992-93 |4.2 1993-94 |3.9
Details of the number of calls made per year are not held centrally.
Disabled People
Mr. Thurnham: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list his Department's responsibilities for providing opportunities for disabled people; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Charles Wardle: The Department has such responsibilities for its own staff.
Aerospace Equipment
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what response he has made to the report "Engineering Economic Trends", a copy of which has been sent to him with particular reference to predictions for output of aerospace equipment for 1995.
Mr. Charles Wardle: I have written to the hon. Member.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate he has made of output for aerospace equipment for 1995.
Mr. Charles Wardle: It is not this Department's practice to forecast industrial output by sector.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the change in constant purchasing power for aerospace equipment from the second half of 1992 to the first half of 1994.
Mr. Charles Wardle: Between the third quarter of 1992 and the second quarter of 1994, the producer price index for aerospace equipment increased by 5.75 per cent. This index is the most appropriate for converting aerospace sales figures into constant prices.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions he has had with the aerospace industry regarding change in constant purchasing power.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions he has had with his right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, about a strategy to meet any concerns expressed by the industry regarding output for the aerospace industry.
Engineering Steel Production
Mr. Hardy: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what advance has been made in preventing unfair support from public funds of engineering steel production in other EC states which proves disadvantageous to United Kingdom producers.
Mr. Eggar: The Government have consistently pressed for strict implementation of the rules governing state aids to the steel industry. We have continued to impress upon the Commission the importance we attach to rigorous implementation of the monitoring arrangements agreed at the December 1993 Industry Council. At the June 1994
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Industry Council, we obtained from the Commission a commitment to take action in the event of any breaches of the conditions agreed in December.Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the President of the Board of Trade, if he will make a statement on the outcome of the negotiations between the European Commission and the United States Government to update the 1959 US- Euratom nuclear co-operation agreement.
Mr. Charles Wardle: Negotiations between the European Commission and the United States Government are continuing. A copy of the Commission's press release on the occasion of the last negotiating round in October has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. I understand that there will be no further formal negotiation sessions before the new year.
National Engineering Laboratory
Mr. Ingram: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many people were employed at the National Engineering Laboratory in each of the last five years.
Mr. Ian Taylor: On 1 April from 1990 94, each year the staffing levels at the National Engineering Laboratory were as follows:
|Year
------------------
1990 |481.0
1991 |390.0
1992 |388.5
1993 |363.5
1994 |283.5
Mr. Ingram: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what facilities and services provided by the National Engineering Laboratory have closed or contracted since it became a next steps agency.
Mr. Ian Taylor: The only facility to have closed is the calibration service, which was provided by NEL for the Scottish calibration service. There has been a reduction in all existing areas of work for DTI, reflecting reduced demand. However, since NEL was created as a next steps agency, there has been an increase in work done for other customers.
Mr. Ingram: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the remuneration of the chief executive of the National Engineering Laboratory payable in each of the last five years.
Mr. Ian Taylor: The post of chief executive came into existence only in October 1990. The information requested by the hon. Member is published annually in the report for the National Engineering Laboratory, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
Insurance (Terrorism Premiums)
Mr. Bernie Grant: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions he has had with the insurance industry about removing or reducing terrorism premiums on property insurance following the changed situation in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Jonathan Evans: I refer the hon. Member to the change in arrangements for paying terrorism insurance premiums detailed in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Colchester, North (Mr. Jenkin) on 16 December, Official Report, columns 850 51.
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Indonesia (Trade Delegations)
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the names and dates of planned trade delegations to Indonesia in which hon. Members are taking part.
Mr. Needham: There are at present no plans for hon. Members to take part in trade delegations to Indonesia.
Sudan
Mr. Bernie Grant: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what were the export earnings of British firms in relation to the Sudan in each of the past five years; and what was the value of imports from the Sudan for the same period.
Mr. Needham: Information on United Kingdom trade with the Sudan is regularly published by the Central Statistical Office in the overseas trade statistics of the United Kingdom. Copies of the publication are available from the Library of the House. The information on export earnings is not classified according to the nationality of the firm.
Regional Policy
Mr. Harvey: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list his Department's regional policies.
Mr. Eggar: My Department is responsible for co-ordinating policy on the European structural funds and for regional industrial policy, in particular the delivery of regional selective assistance in the English assisted areas.
Assisted-area Status
Mr. Harvey: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what formula is used to determine assisted-area status designation; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar: The DTI, Scottish Office and Welsh Office jointly issued a background document on the assisted-areas map on 23 July 1993, setting out the factors that were used to determine the revised map implemented on 1 August 1993.
Public Bodies
Dr. Wright: To ask the President of the Board of Trade which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department (i) hold open meetings, (ii) conduct public consultation exercises, (iii) conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interests, (iv) publish a register of members' interests, (v) publish agendas for meetings and (vi) publish the minutes of meetings; and whether this is in each case (a) under a statutory requirement or (b) voluntary.
Mr. Heseltine [holding answer 16 December 1994]: A list of advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by my Department is set out in the annual publication "Public Bodies", copies of which are in the Library of the House. These bodies are consulted by the Department on a wide range of issues and provide a valuable source of independent advice.
These answers to the individual questions are:
(i) none.
(ii) and (iii) none. However my Department, who normally provide the secretariat to the advisory NDPBs, conduct public
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consultation exercises when appropriate; and the committee members themselves may consult other parties informally.(iv) none.
(v) none.
(vi) none.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Heating Costs
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the percentage of extra fuel which is required to heat an identical house in Belfast taking Bristol as a base.
Mr. Ancram: The percentage of extra fuel required to heat a typical semi-detached house in Belfast compared with Bristol is estimated to be 19 per cent. This figure has been calculated using the building research establishment domestic energy model.
Objective 1 Funding
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will place in the Library his Department's guidelines on eligibility for objective 1 funding for agricultural projects.
Mr. Ancram: The guidelines on eligibility for objective 1 funding of agricultural projects are contained in the Northern Ireland single programming document, which is being published by the European Commission and is expected to be available shortly. I will make arrangements for a copy to be placed in the Library as soon as possible thereafter.
Agriculture (EC Aid)
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on progress towards the implementation of agricultural measures under objective 1 status.
Mr. Ancram: The agriculture measures under Northern Ireland's objective 1 status are contained in the sub-programme for agriculture, fisheries and rural development--SPARD--a constituent part of the Northern Ireland single programming document, which was approved by the European Commission in July 1994.
Some aspects of the sub-programme are support measures, such as hill livestock compensatory allowances, and expenditure on these has been ongoing throughout 1994. The capital grants and farm innovation schemes opened for applications on 14 November 1994. The processing and marketing grants for agricultural products has not yet opened for applications as the Northern Ireland
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sectoral plan has still to be approved by the European Commission.Hospital Closures
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many hospitals have closed since April 1991.
Mr. Moss: Eight. With the exception of one hospital, which provided GP maternity and obstetric services, these facilities provided services for elderly people and people with a mental handicap.
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for how many accident and emergency departments there are currently proposals for closure.
Mr. Moss: I am not aware of any current proposals from health and social service boards or trusts for the closure of accident and emergency departments.
Executive Search Agencies
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what use his Department has made of executive search agencies in filling vacancies within his Department and executive agencies administered by his Department during the last year; and how much these services have cost his Department.
Sir John Wheeler: During the last year no use has been made of executive search agencies by the Northern Ireland Departments or the Northern Ireland Office.
Market Testing
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 12 December, Official Report, columns 477 78 on market testing, what is the total value of the contracts awarded.
Sir John Wheeler: The total value of the contracts is £8.26 million. The duration of individual contracts making up this figure varies from one to five years.
Child Care
Dr. Hendron: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of the total social services budget was spent on child care provision in each of the health board areas in each of the last five years.
Mr. Moss: Resources are allocated to health and social services boards by the Department on a block grant basis. The level of resources expended on child care provision is determined by each board in accordance with the strategic priorities for the board area. Actual expenditure on child care provision expressed as a percentage of total personal social services expenditure in each of the health and social services boards in each of the last five years was as follows:
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