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Welsh Health Common Services Authority
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date he issued guidelines to the Welsh Health Common Services Authority for the purposes of preparation of different segments of the organisation for sale or market testing; if he will place a copy in the Library of the letter of instruction; and if he will give the appropriate section of Statutory Instrument 1985 No. 996 under which the instruction was issued.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 20 February 1995]: The letter was issued on 28 March 1994 on a management in confidence basis. It was not necessary to refer to any particular section of Statutory Instrument 1985 No. 996. The current relevant statutory instrument is the WHCSA Constitution Order 1990 (SI 1990/2647).
Local Authority Finance
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish for each district council in Wales and for Wales as a whole (a) the total amount of community charge collected in respect of 1992 93, (b) the total amount of council tax collected in respect of 1993 94 and (c) the corresponding proportions of (a) and (b) as a percentage of the total collective amounts.
Mr. Gwilym Jones: The information requested is given in the following table. Around £800 million of community charge for the period 1990 91 to 1992 93 had been received by 31 March 1994, 95 per cent. of the total amount collectable. It is not possible to estimate what proportion of this relates to 1992 93. Some authorities have estimated 1992 93 collection rates because of difficulty in separating receipts for 1992 93 from receipts for earlier years.
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Community charge/council tax collection, by authority
Estimated Receipts of
receipts of 1992-93 1993-94 Council tax
Community charge
<1> at 31 March <2> at 31 March
1993 1994
|As a percentage of |As a percentage of
|the full |the full
|£000 |amount to be |£000 |amount to be
|collected |collected
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alyn and Deeside |6,820 |88 |8,033 |93
Colwyn |4,965 |87 |5,998 |89
Delyn |6,319 |92 |7,535 |96
Glyndwr<3> |3,207 |88 |4,215 |83
Rhuddlan |5,267 |89 |5,778 |95
Wrexham Maelor |8,944 |84 |11,309 |94
Carmarthen |4,205 |91 |5,891 |93
Ceredigion |5,426 |85 |7,560 |93
Dinefwr |2,539 |87 |3,674 |88
Llanelli |6,348 |91 |6,976 |93
Preseli Pembrokeshire |5,847 |94 |7,070 |96
South Pembrokeshire |3,275 |88 |4,243 |91
Blaenau Gwent |4,104 |84 |4,695 |92
Islwyn |4,418 |87 |4,731 |93
Monmouth |7,603 |96 |8,586 |94
Newport |10,446 |85 |10,687 |93
Torfaen |7,360 |96 |7,008 |96
Aberconwy |5,173 |91 |5,820 |96
Arfon |3,917 |92 |4,348 |95
Dwyfor |2,700 |96 |3,310 |98
Meirionnydd |3,542 |90 |4,067 |96
Ynys Mon |5,792 |89 |6,750 |94
Cynon Valley |3,808 |89 |4,008 |95
Merthyr Tydfil |3,724 |85 |3,350 |94
Ogwr |9,499 |90 |10,373 |94
Rhondda |3,531 |88 |4,260 |95
Rhymney Valley |7,335 |88 |6,403 |94
Taff Ely |7,842 |87 |7,728 |95
Brecknock |3,528 |95 |4,551 |98
Montgomeryshire |4,213 |93 |5,335 |96
Radnorshire |2,082 |95 |2,490 |96
Cardiff |21,093 |85 |22,663 |92
Vale of Glamorgan |9,667 |92 |11,097 |96
Lliw Valley |4,699 |93 |5,949 |96
Neath |4,708 |89 |6,125 |95
Port Talbot |3,425 |89 |4,091 |94
Swansea |15,526 |90 |17,312 |95
Wales |222,897 |89 |254,019 |94
Source:
Local Authority returns
<1> Net of all deductions on Community Charge bills including Community Charge Reduction Scheme and Community Charge
Benefit.
<2> Net of all deductions on Council Tax bills including Council Tax Benefit.
<3> Council Tax bills were not issued until May 1993, which may have affected the overall collection rate for the
year.
Chippenham Mead Village Green
Mr. Gareth Wardell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date he intends to announce his decision on the holding of fairs at the Chippenham Mead village green, Monmouth.
Mr. Gwilym Jones: The decision will be issued shortly.
Learning Disability
Mr. Galbraith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average annual cost of caring for a person with learning difficulties in (a) the community (b) hospital.
Mr. Richards: In 1992 93, local authorities in Wales spent a total of £80 million to support a total of 10,410 individuals with a learning disability living in the community, an average cost of £7, 700 per individual. More recent information from local authorities is that the average revenue cost to them of an individual with a learning disability receiving accommodation in the community, including day services, is around £34,000 per annum.
In 1992 93, expenditure by health authorities on services for individuals with a learning disability was £61 million. This represents the cost of hospital care for some 1,058 individuals and all community health services.
Zoos
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those zoos which are owned by local authorities.
Mr. Gwilym Jones: Phantasia, Swansea.
Training
Mr. Ron Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the funding plans for (a) investors in people, (b) business enterprise training, (c) skills choice and (d) open learning credit for 1995 96.
Mr. Redwood: Planned expenditure by Welsh TECS in 1995 96 on business growth and start-up activities,
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including support for investors in people, is £13.175 million. Both the skillchoice and the open learning credits pilots will end this financial year, although residual expenditure of £70,000 on skillchoice is anticipated in 1995 96.Mr. Ron Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will list the estimated outturn for TECs in Wales (a) youth training, (b) training credit and (c) modern apprenticeships with respect to training weeks used by those in on-the-job training.
Mr. Redwood: The information is not available in the form requested. TECs do, however, collect information for youth training and youth credits on the number of "employed status" training weeks delivered--that is, those trainees with a contract of employment. These trainees undergo both on and off-the-job training. Some 350,000 YT/YC employed status training weeks are expected to be delivered by TECs in Wales during 1994-95, which represents 43 per cent. of total YT/YC provision.
As modern apprenticeships are in a development phase in the current financial year, TECs have not been requested to provide a planned figure for employed status trainees.
Independent Public Inquiries
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make arrangements for independent public inquiries to be established in relation to (a) the Glan Clwyd baby theft and (b) issues arising from the internal inquiry into the transportation of a stillborn baby for pathological examination from Wrexham Maelor hospital to the University hospital of Wales on 15 November 1994.
Mr. Redwood: Glan Clwyd Hospital NHS trust is holding an internal inquiry and I shall consider whether any further action is required in the light of its findings, which will be available in March. The report of the internal inquiry is under consideration in my Department and I shall decide whether any further action is required in due course.
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TRANSPORT
Live Animal Exports
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 14 February, Official Report , column 560 61 , when he expects the inquiry into breaches of the Air Navigation Order 1989 of flights containing calves from Coventry airport in November and December 1994 to reach its conclusions; who is participating in the inquiry and whom they represent; and whether he will make the proceedings and conclusions of the inquiry available to the public.
Mr. Norris: The inquiry is expected to reach its conclusions shortly. It is an internal inquiry which is being conducted by the Department to seek to determine whether there has been any breach of the Air Navigation Order 1989. The Department is being assisted by the Civil Aviation Authority. All relevant parties involved in the operation of the flights will be interviewed.
The question of publication of the proceedings or any other part of the inquiry's conclusions will be considered once the inquiry has been completed and the findings assessed.
Wind Forces
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the maximum permissable wind force for merchant ships to set sail when (a) unladen, (b) laden and (c) laden with livestock.
Mr. Norris: This is an operational matter for the Marine Safety Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from R. M. Bradley to Mr. Elliot Morley, dated 21 February 1995:
The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your Question about maximum permissable wind forces for merchant ships.
Ships on international voyages are designed generally to operate in all weather conditions and their construction is approved on that basis. The decision to set sail is a matter for the professional judgement of a ship's Master, taking account of the weather and other factors, including the safety of the ship's crew and cargo.
Consultants
Ms Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will update his answer to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson) of 14 July 1994, Official Report , column 724-27 , to show for all consultants and other outside organisations or individuals currently or previously employed by his Department for advice or assistance in rail privatisation (a) the name of the consultancy, organisation or individual (b) the length of the contract offered to each consultancy, organisation or individual, (c) the total amount inclusive of VAT paid to date to each consultancy, organisation or individual, (d) the total amount inclusive of VAT expected to be paid to each consultancy, organisation or individual, and (e) the services required by his Department from each consultancy, organisation or individual; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Watts: Information about payments to individual contractors is commercially confidential.
Payments made to consultants currently or previously employed by the Department total £22.5 million.
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Consultants currently employed by the Department are:
Organisation
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Linklaters and Paines |Legal advice
Freshfields |Legal advice
Samuel Montagu |Merchant banking
Hambros |Merchant banking
SG Warburg |Merchant banking
KPMG Peat Marwick |Accountancy and taxation
Ernst and Young |Accountancy
Price Waterhouse |Accountancy
Shandwick |Marketing
Gresham |Marketing
Ernst and Young |Information systems
Richard Ellis |Property matters
Sedgwick |Insurance
Brodies |Advice on Scots law
Travers Morgan |Advice on BR/Railtrack
| infrastructure contracts
Ernst and Young |Advice on BR infrastructure
| contracts and sales
Consultants previously employed by the Department are:
Organisation --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arthur D Little |Research Coopers and Lybrand |Access and access charging Mercer Management |Freight and Franchising Norman Broadbent |Recruitment Putnam Hayes and Bartlett |Access and access charging Debenham Tewson and |Property matters Chinnocks NERA |Regulatory matters Deloitte Haskins and Sells |Industry structure Dewe Rogerson |Marketing
Contracts for consultancy advice are normally offered on an on-going basis with provision for the Department to terminate the contract.
Bus Services, Greater Manchester
Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he holds about the quality of bus services in greater Manchester; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris: The quality of bus services is primarily a matter for the commercial judgment of bus operators. The passenger transport executive is responsible for securing the provision of non-commercial services under subsidy. All local bus services in Greater Manchester are registered with the traffic commissioner for the north-west traffic area office, who has powers to act against bus operators who fail to run their services to their registered timetables. The commissioner will also act where buses fail to meet the Department's rigorously enforced safety standards.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
Lebanon
Mr. Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's contribution to the international aid effort in the camps of Lebanon.
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Mr. Baldry: UK assistance to the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon is mainly channelled through the UN Relief and Works Agency, the organisation with prime responsibility for assistance to all Palestinian refugees in the near east, including those in Lebanon. In the last three financial years, Britain has made bilateral contributions to UNRWA's core budget totalling £18 million. In addition, Britain pays a share, currently approximately 16 per cent. of the EC contribution to UNRWA's regular programmes. The current convention covering the years 1993 95 is for 80 million ecu, plus food in kind.
Since 1993, we have also provided grants worth £95,400 to Medical Aid for Palestinians for project work in the camps of Lebanon, and £119,600 as emergency aid through MAP, the British Red Cross and Y Care International.
South Africa
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the attainment of better educational standards in South Africa is being encouraged by Her Majesty's Government.
Mr. Baldry: Education is an agreed priority area for our aid programme to South Africa. We focus our assistance on support for policy reform at both the national and provincial level; the improvement of maths, science and English teaching in schools; and the provision of training for disadvantaged groups, including bursaries for tertiary education in both the United Kingdom and South Africa.
Slovakia
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funding is provided from the United Kingdom via the European bank for reconstruction and development for the Slovakian Mochovce nuclear reactor; and what financial liability the Government will have to assume in the event of an accident at the plant.
Mr. Baldry: The UK Government would not provide any funding specifically for the Mochovce project.
We would not assume any financial liability in the event of an accident. Once Slovakia fulfils its undertaking to accede to the Vienna convention-- which would be a condition of disbursement of the bank's proposed loan--all liability for damages resulting from a nuclear incident would be channelled to the operating organisation, Slovenske Elektarne, the Slovak power utility. In addition, the bank would receive an indemnity from the Slovak Government against liability for nuclear incidents.
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what position the United Kingdom has taken on the European bank for reconstruction and development loan for the completion of the Slovakian Mochovce reactor; and what assessment he has made of the compliance of a plant if this nature with the standards which would be required in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Baldry: We have not yet taken a position on this project but are examining the project documentation, particularly the least-cost analysis study, safety report, and environmental impact assessment report, and will also
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need to consider the outcome of the public participation programme currently being carried out in Slovakia and neighbouring countries. No assessment against United Kingdom licensing requirements has been made, but the bank has required that the safety assessment be based on an approach demonstrably equivalent to good western practices and the safety improvement programme at Mochovce has been reviewed by the International Atomic Energy Agency.Liberia
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries have contributed to the United Nation's Liberian trust funds; how much they have contributed; and on what the British contribution has been spent.
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 16 February 1995]: The following information on contributions has been received from the United Nations' Secretariat: United States $16.5 million, essentially from the ECOWAS monitoring group; Norway--$290,000; Denmark--$295,000; The Netherlands-- $262,000; United Kingdom--$1 million.
The British contribution has been spent as follows:
$250,900 for public information;
$50,000 for a hospital generator;
$15,000 for a university library generator.
Most of the remainder has been earmarked for the following: $300,000 for emergency assistance for war-affected populations; $200,000 for demobilisation;
$100,000 for public information;
$50,000 for treatment of trauma victims.
The earmarked funds have not yet been spent because of the decline in the security situation in recent months. The funds will be used as soon as conditions permit.
The remaining $34,100 has not yet been earmarked for any specific purpose, but can be made available as and when needed.
Sierra Leone
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people have been displaced and made homeless in Sierra Leone since 1991.
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 16 February 1995]: A World Food Council/United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees joint food assessment mission which took place in November 1994 reported 500,000 displaced and homeless Sierra Leoneans in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia since ethnic clashes began in 1991.
Mozambique
Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those aid projects in Mozambique supported by his Department in the last five years, indicating those which will provide sustainable development.
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 17 February 1995]: Bilateral aid projects supported over the last five years are as follows:
Rural Development
Workshop to facilitate better co-ordination between NGOs, Mozambican Government authorities and ODA
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Save the Children Fund: Rehabilitation and construction of secondary and tertiary bridges in Zambezia provinceFisheries
Angoche jetty and Emepesca trawler rehabilitation prawn by-catch project
Power
Maputo power station rehabilitation of brush steam generators training of electricians in the electricidade de Mozambique
Roads
Mechanical engineering assistance
Technical assistance to the planning department of the national directorate of roads
Bus rehabilitation study
Study to develop a programme for the rehabilitation of secondary and tertiary roads in Zambezia province
Air Transport
Aeronautical equipment and telecommunications provision Water Transport
Matola jetties rehabilitation and construction
Public Administration
Social dimensions of adjustment contributions to the World bank study
Institutional strengthening of GCPI (Office for co-ordinating import support programmes)
Study to assist in the institutional development of free trade zones
Elections
Multi-party elections seminar
Finance
Assistance to the banking sector
Contribution to the World bank finance sector adjustment project Education
Assistance to pre-university training
Assistance to the National Institute for Development in Education (INDE)
Assistance to the Institute of Languages
Development of the secondary English department in Eduardo Mondlane university
Development of the teacher training initiatives in Mozambique Multi- sectoral Rehabilitation Grants funded through Non-Governmental Organisations
Concern: Education and water programmes in Nampula province Co-operation for development: support small farmers co-operatives
Vet Aid: Paravet training Inhassunge District
Christian Aid: Rehabilitation of educational medical and agricultural activities in Namorroi and Inhassunge districts. Action Aid: Rehabilitation and provision of resources for the development of the primary education and agricultural sectors in Pebane district
In addition Mozambique has benefitted from UK assistance provided to the Southern Africa Development Community as follows: Railways
Rehabilitation of the Limpopo railway and a technical assistance to develop the institutional capacity of the managing Mozambican authority
Rehabilitation of the Nacala railway and transport corridor. Water Transport
Rehabilitation and institutional development of Maputo port We regard all these projects as contributing to sustainable development
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