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Mr. Ian Taylor: No figures are yet available for February 1995 but the number of loans guaranteed in Northern Ireland under the Department's loan guarantee scheme in the previous 12 months are:


Month           |Number of loans                

                |guaranteed                     

------------------------------------------------

February 1994   |5                              

March 1994      |2                              

April 1994      |4                              

May 1994        |9                              

June 1994       |3                              

July 1994       |5                              

August 1994     |3                              

September 1994  |2                              

October 1994    |2                              

November 1994   |3                              

December 1994   |2                              

January 1995    |2                              

WALES

Planning and the Environment

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what powers for environmental planning he has transferred from local authorities to non -departmental public bodies since May 1979; and if he will make a statement on the ways in which this has benefited the environment in Wales.

Mr. Gwilym Jones: No alterations to the arrangements for responsibilities have been made. It is the policy of my right hon. Friend that environmental planning and other planning matters should normally be dealt with locally and that other action would be taken only on the most exceptional basis.

Learning and Behavioural Difficulties

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how it is planned that emergency and respite care, previously provided at long-stay hospitals for those with learning difficulties and seriously challenging behavioural problems, is to be made available in each county in Wales following the closure of such hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Richards: Local and health authorities are responsible for planning and delivering these services.

Welsh Office circular 7/95, "Mental Handicap Strategy: Planning Alternative Care and Support for Individuals Living Unnecessarily and Inappropriately in Long Stay Mental Handicap Hospitals", stresses the need for


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authorities to consider how services currently provided on hospital sites will be provided in future years as resources are withdrawn from hospitals. We have made it clear that no long stay hospitals will close until appropriate arrangements for alternative care and support are in place.

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will make it his policy that each individual with learning or behavioural difficulties, who has been a long-term resident at a long stay hospital in Wales, will have an individual assessment made of his or her personal, social and economic needs, by an appropriate multi-disciplinary team prior to being re-integrated into the community and that the individual, or an advocate on behalf of that individual, will have an opportunity to comment upon and agree to that plan before it is implemented.

Mr. Richards: It has always been the policy, under the Welsh mental handicap strategy, that individuals' needs should be assessed by a multi- disciplinary team. This is reinforced by the requirement to carry out assessments under section 47 of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990.

Full involvement of the individual concerned has always been a key element of these assessments. This is reinforced in Welsh Office circular 7/95 "Mental Handicap Strategy: Planning Alternative Care and Support for Individuals Living Unnecessarily and Inappropriately in Long Stay Mental Handicap Hospitals", which also urges authorities to consider how to resolve disagreements about plans for alternative care where these differ significantly from the wishes and preferences of individuals and their families.

Crematoria

Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if his Department will provide assistance in establishment a crematorium at Newtown to serve Mid Wales; and if he will make a statement.      [15109]

Mr. Redwood: The Welsh Office funds local authorities through the annual local government revenue and capital settlements and, generally speaking, it is for individual authorities to decide how to apportion those resources between and within services in accordance with their statutory obligations and their own priorities. However, my Department's strategic development scheme could be considered as a potential funding source for a project of this kind provided it fulfilled criteria I have set for the scheme. Indeed my Department contributed £200,000 in 1993 94 to the development of a crematorium near Aberystwyth.


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Regional Industrial Assistance

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the reason for the reduction of £29 million for regional industrial assistance in Wales between the 1994 95 planned allocation of £76.9 million and the 1995 96 plans totalling £47.9 million, as set out at figure 3.01 on page 18 of Cm 2815.

Mr. Redwood: As explained in paragraphs 3.06, 3.09 and 3.10 of the Welsh Office Departmental Report, Cm 2815, provision for 1995 96 is based on estimates of demand. Paragraph 3.06 also makes it clear that if the requirement exceeds forecasts than extra money will be made available.

Child Care

Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what plans he has to support the newly-organised kids' clubs network body in Wales, Clybiau Plant Cymru, from April;      [14516]

(2) what funding the kids' clubs network in Wales received over the past five years from the children and families section of the Welsh Office.      [14519]

Mr. Richards [holding answer 20 March 1995]: Under the Department's support for child and family services scheme, grants were awarded to kids' clubs network to promote out-of-school care provision in Wales as follows:


        |£            

----------------------

1991-92 |24,022       

1992-93 |40,873       

1993-94 |18,240       

An announcement will be made shortly on their application for grant in 1995 96.

Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many children in each county council area are receiving financial support from Government funding, at local or Welsh Office level, in obtaining national vocational qualifications to improve the quality of provision in child minding in Wales.      [14520]

Mr. Richards [holding answer 20 march 1995]: This information is not currently held.

Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many registered child minders there are in each county council area in Wales; and what changes there have been in the numbers over the last 10 years.      [14524]

Mr. Richards [holding answer 20 March 1995]: The latest information on the numbers of registered child minders relates to 31 March 1993. Information for 1984 to 1993 is given in the following table:


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Number of registered child minders                                                                                                                                                              

Local authority |1984           |1985           |1986           |1987           |1988           |1989           |1990           |1991           |1992           |1993                           

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Clwyd           |241            |241            |355            |396            |448            |588            |516            |670            |543            |540                            

Dyfed           |143            |179            |195            |212            |196            |384            |292            |450            |433            |277                            

Gwent           |224            |257            |332            |314            |342            |466            |515            |631            |682            |520                            

Gwynedd         |120            |150            |138            |173            |148            |321            |319            |471            |206            |251                            

Mid Glamorgan   |527            |387            |442            |485            |484            |547            |743            |765            |874            |660                            

Powys           |73             |89             |102            |129            |137            |170            |187            |218            |221            |171                            

South Glamorgan |312            |393            |393            |459            |597            |715            |787            |741            |594            |702                            

West Glamorgan  |105            |152            |157            |193            |227            |257            |282            |247            |298            |242                            

                                                                                                                                                                                                

Wales           |1,745          |1,848          |2,114          |2,361          |2,579          |3,448          |3,641          |4,193          |3,851          |3,363                          

Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what further plans he has to support new out of school clubs which have been developed in the past two years by the training and enterprise councils in Wales out of their funding for school child care initiatives.      [14518]

Mr. Richards [holding answer 20 March 1995]: This pump- priming initiative supports the setting-up and early operation of schemes which are expected to become self-sufficient within 12 months of commencement. Development workers will be in place until the end of the Initiative in 1996 and will continue to offer general guidance. A child care scheme, like any other business, can also seek TEC help with business skills training. All schemes have been aware from the outset that they would need to become self-sufficient.

Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what support he has given towards the funding of the National Childminding Association in Wales;      [14522]

(2) what plans he has to provide further support for county child minding services managers in the light of the impending changes in local government.      [14521]

Mr. Richards [holding answer 20 March 1995]: The National Childminding Association has received grant towards the costs of its work in Wales and is shown in the following table:


                                          |County child minding                     

                     |Core costs          |service managers                         

                     |£                   |£                                        

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1986-87              |15,000              |-                                        

1987-88              |15,560              |-                                        

1988-89              |16,041              |-                                        

1989-90              |20,000              |-                                        

1990-91              |26,776              |-                                        

1991-92              |29,952              |21,618                                   

1992-93              |33,826              |75,120                                   

1993-94              |34,670              |113,080                                  

1994-95              |35,190              |114,776                                  

An announcement will be made shortly on their applicants for further funding in 1995 96 for both these purposes.

Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how much money has been made available for TECs in Wales to provide out of school clubs under the schools' child care initiative in the last two years; and how much has been spent on each project supported under this programme; and      [14515]

(2) if he will list all of the out of schools clubs being funded by TECs from the schools' child care initiative budget and the number of children benefiting in each scheme.      [14517]

Mr. Richards [holding answer 20 March 1995]: A total of £153,000 was made available in 1993 94 and £800,000 in 1994 95. A list of the schemes, amounts allocated and child care places available will be placed in the Library of the House. The numbers of children using the schemes vary from day to day.

Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many children in each county council area are currently cared for by child minders; and what changes there have been over the last 10 years.      [14523]

Mr. Richards [holding answer 20 March 1995]: Information on the total numbers of children cared for by child minders is not held centrally. The latest information on the number of places for children with registered child minders relates to 31 March 1993. Information for 1984 to 1993 is given in the following table.


Column 187


Number of places for children available with registered child minders                                                                                                                           

Local authority |1984           |1985           |1986           |1987           |1988           |1989           |1990           |1991           |1992           |1993                           

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Clwyd           |634            |634            |894            |849            |1,002          |1,315          |1,318          |1,782          |1,945          |2,560                          

Dyfed           |269            |456            |487            |522            |465            |761            |684            |963            |940            |754                            

Gwent           |357            |415            |468            |494            |572            |777            |931            |1,101          |1,218          |1,180                          

Gwynedd         |248            |307            |268            |330            |292            |672            |688            |968            |353            |503                            

Mid Glamorgan   |1,724          |1,071          |1,255          |1,367          |1,349          |1,619          |2,239          |2,377          |2,579          |2,934                          

Powys           |114            |135            |157            |193            |231            |293            |327            |403            |459            |596                            

South Glamorgan |869            |1,012          |1,013          |1,230          |1,636          |1,992          |2,361          |2,223          |1,782          |2,106                          

West Glamorgan  |314            |476            |565            |586            |645            |770            |852            |757            |907            |1,014                          

                                                                                                                                                                                                

Wales           |4,529          |4,506          |5,107          |5,571          |6,192          |8,199          |9,400          |10,574         |10,183         |11,647                         

Welsh Health Common Services Authority

Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many outline proposals for the purchase of the Estatecare division of the Welsh Health Common Services Authority he has received to date.      [15077]

Mr. Redwood [holding answer 20 March 1995]: None. A feasibility study of the scope for privatisation of the Estatecare Group is still in progress.

European Regional Development Fund

Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has agreed with the chairman of the Welsh Development Agency for Agency receipts from the


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European regional development fund in (a) 1996 97 and (b) 1997 98; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the sections of the agency corporate three-year plan containing the table showing these estimates.      [15078]

Mr. Redwood [holding answer 20 March 1995]: I discussed the plan with the chairman and the board, but it is not for me to agree the ERDF estimates contained in that plan.

Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list in full the membership of the monitoring committee of the single programme document area of the European regional development fund in Wales.      [15417]


Column 189

Mr. Redwood: The membership of the rural Wales and industrial south Wales single programming document monitoring committees is set out in the following list:

Rural Wales

Mr. M. J. A. Cochlin (Chair), Welsh Office

Miss E. N. M. Davies, Welsh Office

Dr. M. C. Dunn, Welsh Office

Mr. J. Burns, Department of Employment

Mr. R. Liddell, DGVI European Commission

Ms C. Wendt, DGXVI European Commission

Mr. N. Scott, DGV European Commission

Mr. H. V. Thomas, Gwynedd County Council

Ms J. Jones, Powys County Council

Mr. D. Bown, Dyfed County Council

Mr. M. Royles, Dwyfor District Council

Mr. A. Carr, Aberconwy Borough Council

Mr. G. Davey, Montgomeryshire District Council

Mr. H. James, South Pembrokeshire District Council

Mr. D. Ll Evans, Wales Council for Voluntary Action

Mr. S. White, West Wales TEC

Mr. W. R. Jones, Barclays Bank plc

Mr. T. Jones, Farmer

Prof J. Hughes, Development Board for Rural Wales

Mr. J. Pride, Wales Tourist Board

Mrs. E. Allinson, Welsh Funding Councils

Two Monitoring Committee places are available to the County Councils and two of the three County Councils nominees attend meetings.

Industrial South Wales

Mr. M. J. A. Cochlin (Chair), Welsh Office

Miss E. N. M. Davies, Welsh Office

Dr. M. C. Dunn, Welsh Office

Mr. J. Burns, Department of Employment

Mr. R. Royce, DGV European Commission

Ms. C. Wendt, DGXVI European Commission

Mr. A. G. Corless, West Glamorgan County Council

Mr. M. J. Perry, Gwent County Council

Mr. R. Leadbeter, Blaenau Gwent Borough Council

Mr. M. Boaden, Merthyr Tydfil Borough Council

Mr. I. K. Lewis, Port Talbot Borough Council

Mr. G. Byrne, Cardiff City Council

Ms S. Stephens, Wales Council for Voluntary Action

Mr. G. Vaughan, Mid Glamorgan TEC

Mr. R. Thomas, Eversheds Phillips and Buck

Mr. A. Clegg, Railtrack

Mr. G. Moore, Welsh Development Agency

Mr. J. Pride, Wales Tourist Board

Mrs. F. Pickard, Further and Higher Education Funding Councils

Local Government Reorganisation

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations the Welsh Office has received on the subject of the funding of voluntary organisations in Wales under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Gwilym Jones: In addition to the hon. Gentleman's letter of 7 March on behalf of the Aberconwy area work group, the Welsh Office has received the following representations on the subject of the funding of voluntary organisations in Wales since the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 received Royal Assent:


Column 190


Correspondent                      |Date                                   

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wales Council for Voluntary Action |11 July 1994                           

Clwyd Voluntary Services Council   |27 October 1994                        

Cardiganshire Transition Committee |9 November 1994                        

Wales Youth Agency                 |November 1994                          

Wales MIND                         |5 December 1994 and                    

                                   |  24 February 1995                     

Clwyd Mental Health Alliance       |18 January and                         

                                   |  23 February 1995                     

West Glamorgan Mental Health Forum |22 February 1995                       

Swansea MIND                       |23 February 1995                       

Ogwr MIND                          |24 February 1995                       

NSPCC                              |8 March 1995                           

Local Government Debt

Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will list for each county council, district council and for Wales as a whole the amount of long-term debt in March 1994 prices as at (a) 31 March 1993 and (b) 31 March 1994.

Mr. Gwilym Jones: The information requested is given in the following table:


Outstanding loan debt at constant 1993-94 prices<1>                      

£ million                                                                

                      |At 31 March 1993|At 31 March 1994                 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alyn and Deeside      |33.1            |34.2                             

Colwyn                |24.4            |25.8                             

Delyn                 |27.8            |30.0                             

Glyndwr               |15.6            |16.2                             

Rhuddlan              |23.6            |25.7                             

Wrexham Maelor        |65.6            |70.8                             

Carmarthen            |35.2            |35.4                             

Ceredigion            |20.4            |19.4                             

Dinefwr               |28.4            |25.6                             

Llanelli              |39.5            |42.4                             

Preseli Pembrokeshire |38.8            |40.7                             

South Pembrokeshire   |9.8             |10.7                             

Blaenau Gwent         |105.4           |102.6                            

Islwyn                |58.8            |59.6                             

Monmouth              |44.2            |43.9                             

Newport               |127.1           |123.1                            

Torfaen               |81.9            |80.8                             

Aberconwy             |15.9            |18.8                             

Arfon                 |23.6            |25.8                             

Dwyfor                |12.0            |14.7                             

Meirionnydd           |7.6             |9.2                              

Ynys Mon              |50.5            |51.3                             

Cynon Valley          |47.6            |49.4                             

Merthyr Tydfil        |59.2            |60.7                             

Ogwr                  |96.4            |83.2                             

Rhondda               |92.6            |92.1                             

Rhymney Valley        |70.3            |69.4                             

Taff Ely              |36.6            |31.9                             

Brecknock             |24.6            |27.0                             

Montgomeryshire       |20.2            |21.3                             

Radnorshire           |12.6            |12.7                             

Cardiff               |189.0           |180.7                            

Vale of Glamorgan     |54.7            |55.7                             

Lliw Valley           |37.9            |38.2                             

Neath                 |37.5            |38.2                             

Port Talbot           |35.8            |37.4                             

Swansea               |126.9           |128.5                            

                                                                         

Clwyd                 |136.5           |133.5                            

Dyfed                 |119.4           |116.6                            

Gwent                 |149.7           |158.2                            

Gwynedd               |73.3            |77.7                             

Mid Glamorgan         |97.4            |124.9                            

Powys                 |56.3            |53.9                             

South Glamorgan       |154.3           |158.0                            

West Glamorgan        |158.6           |161.2                            

                                                                         

Wales                 |2,776.3         |2,816.8                          

<1>Outstanding loan debt is defined here as debt incurred for capital    

purposes ie. external debt plus moneys used temporarily to support the   

credit ceiling. The outstanding loan debt for the joint police           

authorities has been apportioned to their constituent counties, on the   

basis of population estimates used in the revenue support grant          

settlement.                                                              

Youth Training in Wales

Mr. Alan Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many trainees have been on youth training scheme courses in (a) Wales, and (b) Swansea, in each of the last two years; and how many subsequently found employment.

Mr. Richards: Information on youth training in Swansea is not available, but the following table shows the relevant figures for Wales and for the West Wales TEC area, which includes Swansea:


Youth training in Wales and west Wales                               

                                             |1992-93|1993-94        

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Number starting youth training/youth credits                         

Wales                                        |15,403 |13,577         

West Wales TEC                               |4,520  |4,035          

                                                                     

Percentage of youth training/youth credits                           

  leavers who obtained employment                                    

Wales                                        |45     |48             

West Wales TEC                               |41     |44             

Dental Services

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many general dental practitioners have resigned from the NHS in Gwynedd over the past two years.

Mr. Richards: According to information supplied by the Gwynedd family health services authority, 12 dentists have resigned from the dental list since 1 January 1993. During this period nine dentists have commenced provided general dental services under NHS arrangements.

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many NHS dental patients have been deregistered by general dental practitioners in Gwynedd since September 1993.

Mr. Richards: From information supplied by the Gwynedd Family Health Services Authority, 6,864 adult patients have been deregistered since the beginning of


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September 1993; during that period no children have been deregistered.

This is a cumulative total and does not indicate how many of those patients subsequently registered with another dentist.


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