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Residential Garrison Duty
Mrs. Margaret Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the known and foreseeable residential garrison duty tours; if the units on residential garrison duty are more or less than battalion size; and if he will name those units which are on residential garrison duty tours at present and planned to be in the future.
Mr. Soames: Apart from Germany, there are three overseas garrisons that include resident major units: Hong Kong, Brunei and Cyprus. In Hong Kong the only such unit is the 1st Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles. It is due to leave Hong Kong in October 1996 and will be replaced by two successive battalions on four month unaccompanied tours. In Brunei there is one Gurkha battalion, currently the 2nd Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles which is due to remain there until November 1996 when it will be replaced by the 3rd Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles. In Cyprus there are two battalions resident at any one time. The current battalions are the 1st Battalion; the Royal Irish Regiment, which will be replaced by the 1st Battalion Royal Gloucester, Wiltshire and Berkshire Regiment in May 1995, and the 1st Battalion, Royal Green Jackets, which will be replaced by the 1st Battalion, Royal Kings Regiment in January 1996. Each garrison also includes minor units from non-infantry arms and services.
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WALES
Teenage Pregnancies
Mr. Gareth Wardell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the trend in the number of unwanted teenage pregnancies in Wales.
Mr. Richards: The number of teenage pregnancies in Wales fell from 7,300 in 1984, to 6,400 in 1991--the earliest and most recent years for which figures are available. Over the same period the rate of conceptions per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19 increased from 64.5 to 70.4. It is not known how many of these pregnancies were unwanted.
Civil Servants
Mr. McAllion: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion and number of non-industrial civil servants in the departments and agencies for which he has responsibility are registered disabled and disabled as defined by the Cabinet Office document, "Focus on Ability."
Mr. Redwood: There are 48 registered disabled people amongst the non -industrial staff in the Welsh Office, representing 2 per cent. of the total. Figures for the number and proportion of all disabled people employed in the Welsh Office are not available. A survey of staff using self-categorisation of disability suggested that there were a further 53 staff with a disability who have chosen not to register.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Mr. Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many patients by general practitioner practice are waiting to be seen for in- patient treatment for orthopaedics and ophthalmology in South Glamorgan.
Mr. Richards: The requested information is not held centrally.
Mr. Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average waiting time of patients, by general practitioner practice, for in-patient treatment for orthopaedics and ophthalmology in South Glamorgan.
Mr. Richards: The information requested could be provided only with the consent of individual general practitioners. The consent could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Consultants
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what average hours consultants on maximum part-time contracts work for the NHS and how many hours in the private sector.
Mr. Richards: Maximum part-time consultants are expected to devote substantially the whole of their professional time to their NHS work. Information is not available centrally on the average number of hours such consultants work in the private sector.
Language Units, Clwyd
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make new funds available for language units in Clwyd local education authority; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Richards: My right hon. Friend announced final decisions on the local government revenue settlement for 1995 96 for Wales on Monday 30 January. It will be for Clwyd local education authority to decide how much they spend on the services for which they are responsible, including language units.
In addition to the above, Her Majesty's chief inspector of schools in Wales is to report to my right hon. Friend on the recording, monitoring and follow-up of absence by schools, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of current practices. This is expected shortly.
School Repairs Programmes
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how he proposes to assist those local education authorities that have initiated programmes of major repairs to schools.
Mr. Richards: My support for local authority expenditure is in the form of revenue support grant and permission to borrow. It is for each local authority to determine how its available resources are allocated between the services it provides, in the light of its statutory responsibilities and its perception of local needs and priorities.
Local Authority Schools
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many local education authority schools there are in Wales.
Mr. Richards: A total of 2,021 as at January 1994.
School Staff Redundancies
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received from schools concerned about teaching and staffing redundancies in 1995 96 following consultations on revenue support allocations for education in the next financial year.
Mr. Richards: The Department has received a number of representations from schools concerned about staffing levels in 1995 96. My right hon. Friend does not make revenue support allocations for education. It is for each local authority to determine how much of its available resources to direct to the services it provides, including education, in the light of its statutory responsibilities and its perception of local needs and priorities.
School Class Sizes
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his policy concerning class sizes.
Mr. Richards: Class sizes are a matter for individual school governing bodies.
Consultants
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of whether hospital consultants are complying with the terms of their NHS contracts and whether private practice interferes with the function of the NHS or disadvantages non-paying patients.
Mr. Richards: It is a matter for individual health authorities and NHS trusts to satisfy themselves that hospital consultants are fulfilling the terms of their NHS
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contracts. Consultants who undertake private practice accept that their NHS work should receive priority at all times and employing authorities are entitled to expect no diminution in the level of service to NHS patients as a result of this arrangement.Special Needs Children
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what new funds he proposes to assist special needs children; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Richards: Local authority expenditure on education, including provision for special needs children, is funded through the local government revenue settlement. It is for individual local authorities to determine how much is allocated to education, in the light of local needs and priorities.
Upland Farm Incomes
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what were the net income figures for upland cattle and sheep farms in each year from 1988 89 to 1993 94; and if he will make a statement; (2) what were the net farm incomes for hill sheep farms in each year from 1988 89 to 1992 93; and if he will make a statement; (3) what were the net income figures for hill cattle and sheep farms in each year from 1988 89 to 1993 94; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gwilym Jones: The information requested is included in the statistical tables which were released when the results of the autumn hill review were announced on 29 November. A copy of these tables is available in the Library of the House.
Public Bodies
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people sit on two or more non-departmental public bodies in Wales.
Mr. Redwood: As at 1 December 1994, there were 59 people appointed to two or more non-departmental public bodies in Wales.
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people sit on non-departmental public bodies in Wales.
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Mr. Redwood: As at 1 December 1994, 1,377 people sat on non- departmental public bodies in Wales. Of these, 761 have been appointed by me or my predecessors. Details are given in "Appointments by the Secretary of State for Wales, 1 December 1994" which is available in the Library of the House.
GP Fundholders
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many general practitioner fundholders there are in the county of Gwynedd; (2) how many general practitioner fundholders there are in the county of Clwyd.
Mr. Richards: In Gwynedd there are nine general practitioner fundholding practices--one third wave and eight fourth wave; these include five practices in one group of three and one group of two. A further two practices are preparing to become fundholders from 1 April 1995.
There at 19 general practitioner fundholding practices in Clwyd--one first wave, nine second wave, eight third wave and one fourth wave; these include four practices in two groups. Another practice is preparing to become a fundholder from 1 April 1995.
Education Spending
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how much was spent per pupil on (a) primary and (b) secondary education in the counties of (i) Dyfed, (ii) Mid Glamorgan, (iii) South Glamorgan and (iv) Gwent in 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993; and if he will make a statement;
(2) how much was spent per pupil on (a) secondary and (b) primary education in the county of Gwynedd in each year from 1990 to 1993; and if he will make a statement;
(3) how much was spent per pupil on (a) primary and (b) secondary education in the county of Clwyd in each year from 1990 to 1993; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Richards: The information requested for 1993 94 is not yet available. Figures for earlier years are available in tables 10 and 14 in the Welsh Office "Education Finance Bulletin" produced by the training and education intelligence unit, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
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Three and Four-year-olds in
four-year-olds in nursery education
nursery education
Part time Full time Part time Full time
|Number |Per cent.<1>|Number |Per cent.<1>|Number |Per cent.<2>|Number |Per cent.<2>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clwyd |4,622 |44.3 |90 |0.9 |1,551 |30.1 |90 |1.8
Dyfed |937 |11.3 |1,101 |13.3 |266 |6.5 |609 |14.8
Gwent |4,463 |35.9 |313 |2.5 |1,488 |24.0 |154 |2.5
Gwynedd |641 |10.8 |194 |3.3 |217 |7.3 |194 |6.5
Mid Glamorgan |1,565 |10.2 |3,339 |21.8 |477 |6.1 |1,176 |15.1
Powys |4 |0.1 |294 |10.5 |1 |0.1 |198 |14.1
South Glamorgan |3,121 |26.8 |128 |1.1 |1,036 |17.8 |48 |0.8
West Glamorgan |4,333 |46.3 |1 |- |1,354 |29.4 |- |-
Wales |19,686 |25.8 |5,460 |7.2 |6,390 |16.8 |2,469 |6.5
<1>As a percentage of three and four-year-old population.
<2>As a percentage of four-year-old population.
Note:
Ages are estimated as at 31 December 1993.
Source:
School Census January 1994.
Farm Incomes
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what were the figures for net product and farming income in Wales in each year from 1981 to 1994; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gwilym Jones: The information is as follows:
|Net product |Farming income
|£000 |£000
------------------------------------------------------------
1981 |202,645 |60,035
1982 |228,274 |78,856
1983 |200,304 |40,434
1984 |233,185 |58,686
1985 |228,735 |29,946
1986 |237,012 |46,957
1987 |251,565 |55,484
1988 |261,338 |69,780
1989 |268,062 |45,987
1990 |261,032 |28,499
1991 |268,266 |28,318
1992 |272,086 |39,687
1993 |339,067 |117,246
1994 |360,868 |139,518
Truancy
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what initiatives he is taking to eradicate truancy.
Mr. Richards: We attach great importance to the elimination of truancy and are continually looking at ways in which to effect this. Over the past 12 months or so we have;
issued guidance to schools and LEAs on the policy and practice on categorisation of absence;
published details of absence levels at individual secondary schools for the first time;
encouraged LEAs to look more closely at individual pupils' absence rates and the reasons for them, and urged them to make more use of school attendance orders where appropriate;
reminded parents through the revised Charter for Parents in Wales of their duty to ensure that their children attend school regularly; and
supported projects totalling £663,500 on pupil discipline, bullying, and attendance including initiatives to combat truancy. The level of funding for 1995 96 has increased to £800,000 and the successful projects will be announced shortly.
Nursery Education
Mr Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) four-year-olds and (b) three and four-year-olds are in receipt of nursery education; what percentage of the total number of children in that age
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group that constituted; and if he will give the figures by each education authority.Mr. Richards: The figures in the following table relate to children in maintained nursery schools and nursery classes in maintained primary schools. Children in reception or ordinary classes in maintained primary or special schools are not included, neither are children in non-maintained schools, nurseries and playgroups.
Ysgol y Berwyn, Y Bala
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when a decision will be made on the application by Ysgol y Berwyn, Y Bala for the reinstatement of its sixth form; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Richards: As soon as possible.
Quarrymen
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will now take steps to facilitate a study into the incidence of emphysema and chronic bronchitis amongst slate quarrymen and former quarrymen, compared to the whole population; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Oppenheim: I have been asked to reply.
There are no plans to set up such a study.
Housing
Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 25 January, Official Report, column 155 , on the Department of the Environment's consultation document on a licensing system for houses in multiple occupation in England and Wales, if he has anything to add to his answer.
Mr. Gwilym Jones: This document was issued in England only. The separate consultation arrangements, I described in my last answer, apply in Wales. The Welsh Office and the Department of the Environment will, of course, be discussing the outcomes of our separate consultations.
Parliamentary Answers
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many parliamentary answers on health issues have been refused on the grounds of disproportionate cost or information not being held centrally (a) as a total and (b) as a percentage of all health answers in each of the last five years.
Mr. Redwood: Following a general search on POLIS, answers which contained the words "Health" or "NHS" are shown in the following table:
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|Not answered
|on the grounds of
|disproportionate
|costs
|or information not
|held
Session |Total number |centrally |Per cent.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1989-90 |63 |4 |2.52
1990-91 |37 |3 |1.11
1991-92 |23 |2 |0.46
1992-93 |63 |9 |5.67
1993-94 |39 |5 |1.95
1994-95 (up to 23 January 1995) |9 |- |-
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