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Column 537
Motorway Construction
Mr. Alan Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many miles of motorway have been completely constructed in Wales since 1979; and at what cost. [14869]
Mr. Gwilym Jones: Nearly 23 miles of motorway have been completed at a cost of some £220 million.
Crime Prevention Expenditure
Mr. Ron Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was spent on a crime prevention scheme by his Department and the Home Office in the latest year for which figures are available. [15826]
Mr. Redwood: The Welsh Office has no formal policy responsibility for crime prevention, although some expenditure within the strategic development scheme is for crime prevention activity. In 1994 95, this amounted to £817,594.
There are also some schemes funded by the Welsh Office which include elements of crime prevention, but it is impossible to quantify the amount specific to it. These include grants to combat drug and alcohol misuse, and expenditure on the estates partnership scheme.
The level of crime prevention expenditure by the Home Office is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary.
Citizens Advice Bureaux
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a grant to the citizens advice bureaux in Wales in respect of the North Wales regional office at Prestatyn. [15982]
Mr. Gwilym Jones: The North Wales regional office at Prestatyn is the area office for the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux. Government funding of the association, provided by the Department of Trade and Industry, was £11,916,000 in 1994 95. The same amount of Government funding will be made available in1995 96. It is for the association to determine the allocation of funds to individual area offices.
Railway Lines (Road Bridges)
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what additional finances he proposes to make available to county highway authorities in Wales to meet the cost of upgrading road bridges over railway lines; and if he will make a statement. [15892]
Mr. Gwilym Jones: It is open to Welsh local authority associations to identify any additional costs falling on Welsh authorities in their annual assessment of need to spend on local authority services. This will be taken into account, together with all other relevant factors, in determining future funding for local authorities.
Education Grants
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total sum per annum being made available through his Department's grants for education support and training to help governors, headteachers and
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senior teachers develop effectiveness skills for the management of schools; and what criteria will be used in deciding how such GEST resources are distributed. [15946]Mr. Richards: Planned expenditure in 1995 96 is £1.19 million. Allocations are made by reference to a formula which has been drawn up in consultation with LEAs in Wales.
Training and Enterprise Councils
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what review procedures he has put in place to ensure that TECs in Wales demonstrate how their activities will mesh with developments plans established by local authorities, as set out under the aims and responsibilities sector of this departmental report, on an agenda for action in Wales, are met. [15989]
Mr. Richards: TECs are being asked to discuss with local authorities and others how the action plan "People and Prosperity; an Agenda for Action in Wales" can be taken forward to meet local circumstances. The Welsh Office reviews TEC performance regularly.
Departmental Annual Report
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what was the cost of producing and circulating the departmental annual report for each of the last 10 years in real terms; [16616] (2) what was the cost of producing and circulating the last departmental annual report; what was the circulation list; how many copies were produced; how many copies were sold; and what price. [16615]
Mr. Redwood: The first Welsh Office departmental report was issued in February 1991. That and subsequent reports have been published as Command Papers by HMSO which has borne the printing and publishing costs with the aim of recovering these from the sales revenue. The report is produced bilingually in English and Welsh and the Welsh Office has made the following contributions towards the additional costs involved, expressed in 1994 95 prices:
1991: £7,046
1992: £5,831
1993: £5,220
1994: £4,497
1995: £3,500
Some 1,600 copies of the 1995 report, Cm 2815 were printed and published. In addition to those copies required by Parliament, Government Departments and agencies, just over 900 were produced to satisfy other sales at a price of £15.40 net.
Public Relations
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department spent on public relations during the financial year 1993 94; how much contracts with the private sector cost; and if he will list the activities covered by these contracts. [16279]
Mr. Redwood: My Department bought in no public relations services from the private sector. The cost of running my information division in 1993 94 was £616,085, excluding the cost of purchasing media advertising and promotional material.
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Special Educational Needs
Mr. Alan W. Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average delay between the initial request by parents for a statement of special educational needs for their child and its delivery in each of the counties in Wales in the latest available year. [16838]
Mr. Richards: The information is not collected centrally. The responsibility for the assessment of special educational needs and the preparation of statements rests with local education authorities; regulations made under the Education Act 1993 set out time limits for this process.
Welsh Development Agency
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to point 7 of his letter of strategic guidance to the Welsh Development Agency dated 23 February, what representations he has had concerning the per diem consultancy fee paid to Mr. Stuart Ruben of KLR and Co. for his term was temporary chief finance officer of the agency; and if he will make a statement. [16911]
Geriatric Care
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 3 February, Official Report, column 906, what procedures exist for further intervention by his medical officer for complaints where additional complaints concerning sub-standard levels of care are made shortly after the completion of the six months probationary period for the implementation of any changes pursuant to an independent professional review. [16852]
Mr. Redwood: Additional complaints would be investigated in the normal way. The medical officer for complaints is independent from the Department and would be consulted only if the complaint was not resolved locally.
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 3 February, Official Report , column 906 , (1) what information he has received from the director of public health medicine of the South Glamorgan health authority concerning the implementation of changes in the standard of geriatric care on ward B6 at the University hospital of Wales; and if he will make a statement; [16851]
(2) what representations the medical officer for complaints in Wales has made to the director of public health medicines of the South Glamorgan health authority in relation to the follow-up action required by that authority pursuant to the independent professional review carried out on 6 October 1994 in relation to complaints about ward B6 and the standard of geriatric care at the University hospital of Wales. [16853]
Mr. Redwood: In the first instance, it is for the health authority to consider and implement any changes that may be necessary in the light of the findings of the medical officer for complaints. The director of public health medicine will be asked by the Department's chief medical officer, what measures have been undertaken six months after the issue of the MO(C) report.
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Education Spending
Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much is currently spent on education in each local education authority; and to what extent this has changed in relation to last year's figures in (a) real and (b) percentage terms. [16791]
Mr. Richards: The information requested is given in the following table.
Net current expenditure on education
(excluding school meals and milk)<1>
Percentage
increase
between<3>1993-94
and
1994-95
|1994-95<2> |Real terms |Cash
|(£ million)|Per cent. |Per cent.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Clwyd |169.1 |-1 |1
Dyfed |161.9 |-0 |2
Gwent |198.8 |-1 |1
Gwynedd |100.3 |0 |2
Mid Glamorgan |253.1 |-1 |1
Powys |55.3 |-1 |1
South Glamorgan |168.2 |2 |4
West Glamorgan |157.7 |-3 |-1
Total Wales |1,264.4 |-1 |1
<1>Includes residual expenditure on further and higher
education and LEA payments in respect of grant-maintained
schools.
<2>Budgets.
<3>Increase in 1994-95 budgets over 1993-94 revised estimates.
Cardiff Bay Development Corporation
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will specify the arrangements by which a part of his annual grant-in-aid to the Cardiff Bay development corporation is allocated for grant-aiding of the Cardiff Bay opera house trust by the corporation; if that part of the grant in aid is ring-fenced; what is the amount passed on to the trust; and in which financial years it occurred; [16908]
(2) if he will specify the arrangements for the grant aiding of the Cardiff Bay opera house trust by the Cardiff Bay development corporation on a matched basis with grants from Associated British Ports; and if he will make a statement. [16912]
Mr. Redwood: The corporation's detailed funding arrangements for the opera house trust is an operational matter. From its annual grant in-aid allocation, the corporation has financed the administration of the trust and the opera house design competition as follows:
|1995-96
|1992-93 |1993-94 |1994-95 |(Planned)
|£000s |£000s |£000s |£000s
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Administration |- |200 |840 |200
Design
Competition |85 |109 |105 |-
Total |85 |309 |946 |200
In addition, the corporation is planning to match an £80,000 funding contribution from Associated British Ports towards the trust's campaign to secure capital funding from the private sector.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
Social Marketing
Mr. Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and which non-governmental organisations are being funded to carry out social marketing programmes; in which countries they are based; what is the amount of funding granted; and for what length of time. [16086]
Mr. Baldry: ODA is currently funding three non-governmental organisations to carry out social marketing programmes. Details of which countries, the level and period of funding are given in the table:
NGO Social Marketing Programmes Funded By ODA
|Total
|commitment
NGO |Country |Period |(£ million)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Population services
international (PSI) |Cambodia |1994-95 |0.150
PSI |India |1995-98 |1.020
PSI/Society for family
health |Nigeria |1995-97 |3.300
Marie Stopes
international (MSI) |India |1989-95 |0.519
MSI |Ethiopia |1991-95 |0.207
Total commitment |5.196
Family Planning
Mr. Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government on social marketing of contraceptives in family planning programmes overseas. [16098]
Mr. Baldry: ODA supports the social marketing of contraceptives as an effective strategy to improve access to contraception and thereby promote "Children by Choice, Not Chance."
Currency Speculation
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to support the proposal put forward by President Mitterrand at the world summit for social development for an international tax on currency speculation to fund assistance to developing countries for the eradication of poverty. [14928]
Mr. Baldry: We support the summit's conclusion that this type of taxation should not be promoted as a way of assisting developing countries. Taxation on international transactions essentially amounts to a barrier to trade which reduces global economic welfare.
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The best way to help poorer countries develop is to allow them to trade freely. That is why my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for Overseas Development made clear in her address to the summit that full implementation of the general agreement on tariffs and trade is likely to generate more jobs worldwide than any other single international development.Slovakia
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the United Kingdom's financial or contractual responsibilities for investments made in nuclear power installations by the European bank for reconstruction and development in the event of future accidents. [16846]
Mr. Baldry: The United Kingdom Government would not assume any financial liability in the event of an accident at the Mochovce nuclear power station in the Slovak Republic, the only proposed EBRD investment in nuclear energy. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Truro (Mr. Taylor) on 21 February at column 129 .
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contributions the United Kingdom made in resources or policy creation in the decision of the European bank for reconstruction and Development funding of the Mochovce nuclear plant in Slovakia. [16847]
Mr. Baldry: The United Kingdom know-how fund has financed EBRD's engagement of consultants (i) to provide financial advisory services; (ii) to undertake an environmental impact assessment and (iii) to audit the public participation programme.
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what calculation was made in assessing the 10 per cent. predicted decommissioning costs for the Mochovce nuclear installation made by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. [16845]
Mr. Baldry: The cost estimates for Mochovce include an allowance of US$337 million for fuel storage and decommissioning. The Slovak Parliament passed a law in August 1994 whereby 10 per cent. of the revenues derived from the sale of nuclear power are to be transferred to a state fund. This fund is intended to finance all expenses relating to nuclear waste management, final waste and spent fuel disposal and decommissioning of all nuclear plants.
East Timor
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the Indonesian public officials trained under the United Kingdom aid programme who have subsequently served in East Timor. [16796]
Mr. Baldry: This information is not available.
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to what extent the advice and training given to the Indonesian national police under the Overseas Development Agency's police management training project has been used in policing East Timor; and to what extent such advice and training related to crowd control techniques. [16727]
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Mr. Baldry: The police management training project strengthens the central capacity of the Indonesian national police to respond more effectively to a wide range of management and public service issues. It has not dealt with crowd control techniques. The project has helped the INP to establish a consultancy unit which engages in active problem solving. Advice or assistance from the unit is available to all branches of the INP. The East Timor police authorities have not sought advice directly from the unit.
PRIME MINISTER
Astra plc
Mr. Bermingham: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the Government Departments which have been in contact with Mr. C. Barlow of Coopers and Lybrand or his colleagues in relation to Astra plc documents. [16999]
The Prime Minister: Officials of the inspectors appointed by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and officers from the Ministry of Defence police CID have been in contact with Mr. C. Barlow of Coopers and Lybrand in relation to Astra plc documents.
Mr. Bermingham: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the Government Departments which have been contacted by Mr. J. Ramasahoye of S. J. Berwin and Co., solicitors, or his superiors, in relation to Astra plc documents; and if he will list those Government Departments who have contacted Mr. Ramasahoye or S. J. Berwin in relation to Astra plc documents. [16998]
The Prime Minister: Officials at the investigations division of the DTI responsible for monitoring the inspection of Astra Holdings plc under the Companies Act 1985, have been in correspondence with S. J. Berwin over the production of copy documents from the inspectors.
Pepper v. Hart
Mr. Fisher: To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish the report on the implications of the House of Lords ruling on the 1992 Pepper v. Hart case. [16825]
The Prime Minister: The report referred to is an internal document containing recommendations from officials to Ministers. In line with the practice of successive Administrations regarding such documents I do not propose to publish it.
Terrorism
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral answer of 16 March, Official Report , column 1022, referring to concrete evidence being brought forward and being fully investigated and, pursuant to the Leader of the Houses's oral answers of 16 March, Official Report , column 1033, alluding to reflection on concrete evidence, what assessment he has made of the telex, a copy of which has been sent to him, involving the special action group of the CIA, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the agency at 48 Westminster Bridge road involving No Home Runs, Pirates and Senators and the Major Charles McKee. [16910]
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The Prime Minister: I have asked the relevant authorities to look into this matter. I will reply to the hon. Member's letter shortly.
Pornography
Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Prime Minister what
inter-departmental committees are considering pornography; what are their terms of reference; and if he will make a statement. [16799]
The Prime Minister: I share my hon. Friend's concern about pornography, and as part of the on-going monitoring and review of controls in this area the Government have established an inter-departmental working group on obscenity. The group will monitor developments in the area of obscenity, with particular reference to emerging trends in child and computer pornography, and will identify any actual or potential difficulties in enforcement or weakness in the relevant law and consider possible ways of overcoming them.
Engagements
Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 28 March 1995. [14934]
The Prime Minister: This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today.
Press Officers
Mr. Henderson: To ask the Prime Minister how many press officers there are in his Department currently; and what was the figure in 1979. [16563]
The Prime Minister: There are currently six press officers in No.10. Detailed records are not available for 1979. The earliest date for which figures are available is 1983 when the number of press officers was five.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Metropolitan Police Committee
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 21 March, Official Report , columns 138-39 from which vote the funding for the Metropolitan police committee will be taken. [16691]
Mr. Maclean: From 1 April 1995 funding for the Metropolitan police committee will be provided from the metropolitan police fund. The relevant vote is class VII, vote 1, Subhead P1, which is Home Office grant towards expenditure incurred by police authorities, including the receiver for the Metropolitan police district.
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if members of the police committee receive payment for their work. [16693]
Mr. Maclean: Members will be entitled to claim reimbursement of reasonable travelling costs, plus an allowance of £15 for each hour spent in attendance on committee business.
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Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which Minister or Ministers will decide whether to act on the advice of the Metropolitan police committee. [16692]
Mr. Maclean: My right hon. and learned Friend and other Home Office Ministers.
Libya
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are his responsibilities in relation to extradition relations with Libya. [16909]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: The United Kingdom Government do not have extradition arrangements with Libya.
European Frontiers Convention
Mr. Marlow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what parliamentary proceedings will occur in respect of the European frontiers convention prior to the Government signifying their agreement to the instrument. [16808]
Mr. Howard: As I indicated in standing Committee B on 22 March at column 23 the Government will bring the final text of the external frontiers convention before Parliament before it is signed. If the convention is signed, the Government will not ratify it before the necessary legislation has been enacted by Parliament in accordance with the normal procedures.
Single Regeneration Budget
Mr. Alan Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding remains available for allocation to safer cities projects; and how much funding has been transferred to the single regeneration budget at the Department of the Environment. [16844]
Mr. Maclean: The Home Office transferred to the single regeneration budget £3,760,000 for 1994 95, £6,335,000 for 1995 96 and £6,996,000 for 1996 97 for the continuation of the safer cities programme. The estimated outturn of the Department of Environment safer cities projects for 1994 95 is £2 million. The Home Office retained sufficient funds to provide for the four remaining phase 1 projects until they cease to receive Government funding in September 1995, and three projects being set up in Wales. Home Office provision for 1995 96 is £749,000.
Miscarriages of Justice
Mr. Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost (a) to his Department and (b) to each police force in England and Wales of investigating miscarriages of justice at the request of his Department in each of the last 10 years. [16945]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: Information about the staff costs of the section in the Home Office which considers and investigates possible miscarriages of justice is set out in the following table.
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|Staff costs
|£ million
------------------------------------
1990 |0.31
1991 |0.35
1992 |0.44
1993 |0.53
1994 |0.56
The Home Office also incurs other miscellaneous costs including those of transcripts obtained and scientific tests carried out at its request, but no firm figures for these costs are available. Information about the costs of investigations carried out by police forces is not available in a form which enables miscarriage of justice inquiries to be distinguished from other investigations.
Closed Circuit Television
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to announce the recipients of closed circuit television challenge funding. [16795]
Mr. Maclean: One hundred and six winners sharing£5 million Government funding were announced on 27 March. The successful bids, by region, were as follows:
North-east:
Whitley Bay town centre, Gateshead Team Valley industrial estate and Gateshead town centre; Chester le Street town centre; Bishop Auckland town centre; Skippers Lane industrial estate, Cleveland; and Mill Lane primary school and community centre, Stockton.
North-west and Merseyside:
Blackpool town centre; Penrith town centre; Tameside town centre and Tameside business development centre; Rochdale town centre; Chester; Wigan town centre; Carlisle town centre; Clitheroe town centre; Neston town centre; Bury town centre; Lancaster town centre; Morecambe town centre; and Kirkby railway station, Merseyside. Yorkshire and Humberside:
Harrogate town centre; Outwood Grange school, Wakefield; Balby Street school, Doncaster Lower Don Valley industrial estate, Sheffield; Scawsby community centre and playfield, Doncaster; Driffield town centre, Humberside; Keighley town centre; Scarborough town centre; Suttonfields industrial estate; York city centre; Boroughbridge town centre, North Yorkshire; and Brigg town centre, Humberside.
London:
Harrow town centre, Hillingdon; Sunbury Cross shopping centre and car park; Islington: Hounslow town centre, Erith town centre (Kent); North Walthamsow industrial estates; and Richmond town centre. South-east:
Newhaven town centre; Egham town centre, Surrey; Eastbourne town centre, Sussex; Sandwick town centre, Kent; Rochester industrial business estate; Dartford town centre; Tonbridge and West Malling town centre; Addlestone town centre; Banbury centre; Wokingham town centre; Basingstoke town centre; Chesham town centre; Fawcett Road shopping area, Portsmouth; Ashford town centre; Dover and Deal business and town centres; Folkestone town and residential areas; Maidstone town centre; Havant town centre; and High Wycombe town centre.
West Midlands:
Rugby town centre; Hereford shopping and business areas; Solihull town centre and car parks; Lichfield car parks and town centre; Ledbury high street, Worcestershire; Worcester town centre; Shrewsbury town centre; Tamworth town centre; and Stratford upon Avon town centre.
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