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Written Answers to Questions
Friday 17 March 1995
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Publicity and Publications
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the total expenditure on (a) all forms of publicity and (b) all publications and pamphlets produced for his Department and for all the agencies and public bodies for which his Department is responsible for each year since 1979, including the budgeted figure for 1995 96, (i) including and (ii) excluding privatisation-related expenditures and expressed in 1994 prices; and if he will supply information for the period from 1 April 1993 to 1 March 1995 showing (1) the nature and (2) the purpose of each publicity campaign and of each publication involving the expenditure of more than £50,000.
Mr. John M. Taylor: The cost of publicity, publications and pamphlets, including court forms, produced centrally by the Lord Chancellor's Department since 1992 is as follows:
Year |£ ------------------------------ 1992-93 |1,529,211 1993-94 |1,342,743
Letter from Sarah Tyacke to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 17 March 1995 :
I have been asked by the Lord Chancellor's Parliamentary Secretary to reply to your question relating to expenditure on publicity and on publications and pamphlets for each year since 1979, including the budgeted cost for 1995 96. The Public Record Office has a publications programme for the public records. The figures are:
Year |£ ------------------------------ 1990-91 |13,282 1991-92 |15,050 1992-93 |39,954 1993-94 |65,546 1994-95 |<1>78,900 1995-96 |<1>61,800 <1> Budget.
Information for earlier years is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate costs.
The Public Record Office has not held a publicity campaign or issued a publication whose cost has exceeded £50,000.
Letter from S. Hutcheson to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 17 March 1995:
The Parliamentary Secretary of the Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to you as a part of the Lord Chancellor's Department's response to your Parliamentary question, listed on 14 March 1995, regarding expenditure on publicity and publications and pamphlets.
The Public Trust Office has not undertaken any publicity campaigns and none is planned for 1995 96.
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The information required on all publications and pamphlets for each year since 1979 is not readily available and it would not be cost effective to produce the information required in the short period available. The budgeted figure for 1995 96 is not available as it is subsumed within other planned expenditure.As the Public Trust Office has not been privatised there has been no related expenditure.
Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 17 March 1995:
I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, to reply to your recent question concerning total expenditure by HM Land Registry on all forms of publicity and all publications and pamphlets produced for each year since 1979. I can provide the following information.
(a) Publicity
The table below identifies publicity expenditure (expressed in 1994 prices) since 1989 90. These expenditures cover all public relations activities, communications to Land Registry staff and customer service literature. Prior to that date, no specific budget was held for these purposes. There has been no privatisation related expenditure incurred by the Land Registry.
Year |£ ------------------------------- 1989-90 |3,368 1990-91 |17,078 1991-92 |24,400 1992-93 |21,643 1993-94 |10,765 1994-95 |60,069 1995-96 (Budget) |46,489
(b) Publications and Pamphlets
The Land Registry produces a wide range of explanatory literature containing advice for practitioners and the general public on various aspects of land registrations practice and procedure and on the services that it provides. The cost of providing these publications is subsumed within the Registry's total stationery budget and individual elements cannot be identified. Stationery costs bear a direct relationship to the operational work of the Registry to which the majority of the budget is devoted.
In respect of publications issued by HMSO, for instance the Registry's Annual Report and Accounts, costs are borne by HMSO who aim to recover these from sales revenue.
As to the second part of your question, during the period from 1 April 1993 to 1 March 1995 the Land Registry did not undertake any publicity campaign or produce any publication involving the expenditure of more than £50,000.
There is no cost to the Exchequer for the Agency's publicity or publications as the Land Registry meets all of its expenditures from fees paid by those who use its services.
I do hope that this answers the points raised with the Parliamentary Secretary but please contact me if I can be of any further assistance.
Mr. Gerry Adams
Mr. Gill: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department in what circumstances and under what provisions legal aid can be refused to Mr. Gerry Adams in his application for judicial review against the British Government; and what changes in the law are necessary to prevent Mr. Gerry Adams from claiming legal aid in his application for judicial review.
Mr. John M. Taylor: All applicants for civil legal aid must pass a test of their financial means and of the merits of their case if they are to be awarded legal aid by the Legal Aid Board. Legal aid will be refused if the applicant is unable to satisfy either of these tests. The statutory basis
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for the grant of legal aid is the Legal Aid Act 1988 and the regulations made under it. Mr. Adams will be treated in the same way as any other applicant for legal aid. Any changes in the law relating to legal aid are made only when it seems sensible to do so in respect of all applicants.EMPLOYMENT
Workplace Bullying
Mr. Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what research his Department has carried out over the last 10 years into the extent of workplace bullying.
Mr. Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proposals he has for introducing a code of practice aimed at avoiding incidents of (a) workplace victimisation and (b) intimidation of employees.
Mr. Oppenheim: The Department has no plans to do so.
Publicity and Publications
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total expenditure on (a) all forms of publicity and (b) all publication and pamphlets produced for his Department and for all the agencies and public bodies for which his Department is responsible, for each year since 1979, including the budgeted figure for 1995 96, (i) including and (ii) excluding privatisation-related expenditures and expressed in 1994 prices; and if he will supply information for the period from 1 April 1993 to 1 March 1995 showing (1) the nature and (2) the purpose of each publicity campaign and of each publication involving the expenditure of more than £50,000.
Miss Widdecombe: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 3 March 1995, Official Report , columns 747 48 , which provides information on all publicity expenditure for each year since 1979. The budgeted figure for advertising and publicity for 1995 96 is £10.6 million. Further information broken down by type of publicity is not available.
Separate information on privatisation-related publicity is not available.
Information about individual publications between 1 April 1993 and 1 March 1995 involving the expenditure of more than £50,000 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The following publicity campaigns costing over £50,000 were conducted during the period:
Career Development Loans
To encourage individuals to take up loans to improve their careers;
Make it Your Business
To raise awareness of national vocational qualifications and encourage employers to develop their staff and benefit from the result;
Just the Job/New Measures
To publicise the range of new Employment Service measures available to help people back into work;
National Training Awards
To encourage employers and individuals to enter the national competition for training excellence;
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Investors in PeopleTo encourage employers to develop their staff and benefit from the results;
Employment Service Employer Campaign
To encourage employers to use jobcentre services;
Disability Campaign
To encourage employers to recruit or retain or retain people with disabilities;
New Horizons for Women
To highlight opportunities for women to realise their potential in employment, training, public life and voluntary work.
Jobseeker's Allowance
Mr. Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if, under the proposed jobseeker's allowance, he intends to retain the provisions in regulation 7B of the Social Security (Unemployment, Sickness and Invalidity Benefit) Regulations concerning restrictions on availability for work resulting from the person's physical or mental condition.
Miss Widdecombe: Jobseeker's allowance claimants will normally be expected to be available for a minimum of 40 hours a week. Regulations will reflect our policy that claimants with a mental or physical condition will be able to restrict their availability in accordance with their disability.
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Exhibitions
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if he has considered an application for an exhibition relating to the Refugee Council to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.
Mr. Michael J. Martin: I understand that, under procedures agreed by the Administration Committee, arrangements have been made for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from Monday 19 June to Friday 23 June 1995.
Ms Lynne: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if he has considered an application for an exhibition relating to Child 2000 to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.
Mr. Michael J. Martin: I understand that, under procedures agreed by the Administration Committee, arrangements have been made for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from Monday 12 June to Friday 16 June 1995.
TRANSPORT
Publicity and Publications
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the total expenditure on (a) all forms of publicity and (b) all publications and pamphlets produced for his Department and for all the agencies and public bodies for which his Department is responsible, for each year since 1979, including the budgeted figure for 1995 96, (i) including and (ii) excluding privatisation-related expenditures and expressed in 1994 prices; and if he will supply information for the period
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from 1 April 1993 to 1 March 1995 showing (1) the nature and (2) the purpose of each publicity campaign and of each publication involving the expenditure of more than £50,000.Mr. Norris: For expenditure by my Department and its agencies on above-the-line advertising, I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the replies I gave on 14 February, Official Report, columns 524 25. Information on other forms of publicity could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Level Crossings
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the location of each automatic open level crossing (a) remotely and (b) locally monitored, which currently fails to meet the criteria specified in the report produced by Professor Stott, with the dates by which the replacement of the level crossing is expected to be completed.
Mr. Watts: Of the 250 automatic open crossings on the British Rail system at the time of the Stott report, 74 were identified as likely to fail to meet the criteria established by Professor Stott. The Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate has advised me that all remotely monitored automatic open level crossings now meet the Stott report criteria.
The following four locally monitored automatic open level crossings currently remain to be converted to meet the Stott report criteria. Grove road level crossing, Beccles, due for conversion late spring 1996;
Marton (Gypsy) lane level crossing, Middlesbrough, due for conversion late autumn 1995;
Runswarp level crossing, Whitby, due for conversion late autumn 1995;
Hunmanby depot (Sands lane) level crossing, Filey, conversion date under consideration by Railtrack.
Her Majesty's railway inspectorate has been in discussion with Railtrack to ensure that any delays are minimised.
ENVIRONMENT
Water and Sewerage
Mr. Nicholls: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the cost of his Department's expenditure on water and sewerage in (a) the current year and (b) each of the three previous years.
Sir Paul Beresford: My Department spent the following amounts on water and sewerage during the financial years indicated:
Year |£ ------------------------ 1991-92 |92,800 1992-93 |124,000 1993-94 |141,300 1994-95 |106,200
These figures exclude the expenditure of the Department's agencies and properties where water and sewerage charges are included in the rent.
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what response he has made to the proposals
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set out by the Director General of Water Services at the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities, Sub-committee C on the environment, public health and education, on 1 March, on the placing of a legal duty on water companies to promote the efficient use of sewerage services.Mr. Atkins: My right hon. Friend is meeting the Director General of Water Services to discuss the issues.
Berkshire
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will consult the Secretary of State for Education about the implications for the education service of the Local Government Commission's recommendations in respect of Berkshire;
(2) if he will consult the Secretary of State for National Heritage about the implications for the public library service of the Local Government Commission's recommendations in respect of Berkshire; (3) if he will consult the Secretary of State for Transport about the implications for transport planning of the Local Government Commission's recommendations in respect of Berkshire;
(4) if he will consult the Secretary of State for Health about the implications for social services, with particular reference to the development of community care and the protection of mental health, of the Local Government Commission's recommendations in respect of Berkshire.
Mr. Robert B. Jones: Decisions made by Government, including decisions on the recommendations of the Local Government Commission, are taken collectively.
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning the recommendations of the Local Government Commission in respect of Berkshire; and how many of these opposed the proposals.
Mr. Robert B. Jones: We have received some 5,400 letters. Many of these have not been couched in terms of support for, or opposition to, the commission's recommended local government structure for the county as a whole, but approximately three quarters have expressed opposition to change. We have also received a petition of some 10,000 signatures in support of an alternative unitary structure and one of some 4,300 signatures in favour of a unitary Reading on extended boundaries. One hundred and thirty-five pro-forma leaflets have been received, 39 of which have expressed opposition to change.
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the Local Government Commission included the status quo as an option for public consultation in its review of local government structure in Berkshire.
Mr. Robert B. Jones: No. The commission's consultation report and leaflets did, however, explain that it must recommend to the Government whether to change the existing structure of local government in the county or whether to make no change.
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to reach a decision on the recommendation of the Local Government Commission in respect of Berkshire.
Mr. Robert B. Jones: As my right hon. Friend told the House on 2 March, Official Report, columns 1183 1202,
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he expects to be able to make a statement in the very near future on Berkshire and those other counties on which decisions about local government structure have yet to be announced.Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate the Local Government Commission has made of the additional administrative staff required by the proposals in respect of Berkshire.
Mr. Robert B. Jones: The commission's financial estimates of costs and savings associated with its proposals for local government reorganisation in Berkshire, which were made publicly available in December 1994, incorporated the assumption that 129 additional staff would be required compared with the status quo. The staffing levels of local authorities are, however, ultimately a matter for the authorities themselves.
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if joint arrangements between authorities would be needed for the implementation of the Local Government Commission's recommendation in respect of Berkshire.
Mr. Robert B. Jones: It would be for the Berkshire local authorities to consider the most suitable means of service delivery, including whether voluntary joint arrangements were desirable for particular functions. For the fire service, the Local Government Commission has recommended a statutory joint authority.
European Regional Development Fund
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what agreement he has arrived at with the member of the European Commission responsible for the regional development fund concerning the retrospective element of the single programme document in the United Kingdom objective 2 areas with effect from 1 January 1994.
Sir Paul Beresford: The regulations governing the use of the EC structural funds provide for expenditure incurred after 1 January 1994 to be eligible for European regional development fund grant. Projects which involve retrospective expenditure will be considered at the first bidding round in each programme area. No other agreement has a been reached regarding retrospection in the objective 2 programmes for which my Department is responsible.
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what negotiations he has carried out on the setting up of a programme for the European regional development fund for the eligible parts of the United Kingdom for objective 2 funding for the period commencing 1 January 1997.
Local Government Reorganisation
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the shire county areas, in respect of which the Local Government Commission has recommended the total abolition of the county council in favour of unitary authorities; and what percentage they represent of all shire county areas.
Mr. Robert B. Jones: The Local Government Commission recommended an all-unitary structure of local government in 10 county areas--that is, 26 per cent.
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of the 39 shire county areas in England. Specifically, it recommended that the county councils in Avon, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cleveland, Dorset, Humberside, North Yorkshire and Somerset should be abolished and that the Isle of Wight should have one unitary authority.Housing Associations
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has for increasing the amount of the housing association budget which can be spent for the Wirral.
Mr. Robert B. Jones: The allocations from the Housing Corporation's approved development programme to local authorities in 1995 96 were announced on 15 December 1994, Official Report, columns 734 35, and details were placed in the Library of the House. There are no plans for increasing these amounts.
Health Risks
Mr. Nick Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the health risk level accepted by his Department for ground level concentrations of (a) vanadium and (b) nickel in nanograms per cubic meters.
Mr. Atkins: [Pursuant to his reply 2 March 1995, c. 695] : I regret that some of the factual information given was incorrect. The answer should have been as follows:
My Department has no air quality standards for these substances but the World Health Organisation guideline for vanadium is 1 microgram per cubic meter--averaging time 24 hours. There is no WHO guideline for nickel, but the WHO estimate a lifetime cancer risk of 4 10 at a nickel dust concentration of 1 microgram per cubic meter.
EDUCATION
Publicity and Publications
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the total expenditure on (a) all forms of publicity and (b) all publications and pamphlets produced for her Department and for all agencies and public bodies for which her Department is responsible, for each year since 1979, including the budgeted figure for 1995 96, (i) including and (ii) excluding privatisation-related expenditures and expressed in 1994 prices; and if she will supply information for the period from 1 April 1993 to 1 March 1995 showing (1) the nature and (2) the purpose of each publicity campaign and of each publication involving the expenditure of more that £50,000.
Mr. Forth: The expenditure figures for publicity and publications for the Department for each year since 1979 80 are given in the table. The figures for publicity cannot be disaggregated from publications.
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