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Written Answers to Questions
Friday 21 April 1995
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Landlord and Tenant Rights
Mr. Thurnham: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what has been the result of his period of consultation on the landlord and tenant rights and duties paper concerning reform of the law of privity of contract; if he is now in a position to support an amended Landlord and Tenant (Covenants) Bill containing the agreement made between the British Retail Consortium and the British Property Federation; and if he will make a statement. [20212]
Mr. John M. Taylor: Following a substantial response to the consultation in favour of the package, the Government will support such a Bill, provided that the principal change concerning controls over assignment of leases will not apply to purely residential tenancies or to farm business tenancies.
EMPLOYMENT
Youth Training
Mr. Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were on (a) YT/youth credits and (b) modern
apprenticeships (i) on average in 1994 and (ii) at the last date for which figures are available. [19938]
Mr. Paice: On average in 1994, there were 280,400 people on youth training, including youth credits, in Great Britain. In January 1995, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 287,100 people on YT, including youth credits, in Great Britain.
As modern apprenticeship prototypes did not begin until September 1994, it is not possible to give an average figure for 1994. As at 7 April 1995, the latest date for which figures are available, according to training and enterprise council estimates 1,393 young people had started modern apprenticeships in the 17 prototype TECs in England.
Mr. Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number and percentage of YT trainees who currently have employed status. [19940]
Mr. Paice: In the period April to December 1994, 38 per cent. of those leaving youth training in England and Wales had employed status at the time they left. As this figure is estimated from incomplete information, it is possible to give only the percentage of employed status leavers, not the actual number.
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National Council of Vocational Qualifications
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what the National Council for Vocational Qualifications has cost to run in each year of its existence. [19944]
Mr. Paice: The National Council of Vocational Qualifications is funded through its co-sponsoring Departments of Employment, Education, Wales and Northern Ireland and from other sources--primarily national vocational qualification fees payable by awarding bodies and subscriptions to the national database of vocational qualifications. Grant in aid funding, which has contributed towards NCVQ's operating costs has been provided since it was established in 1986 is shown in the following table:
Year |£ ------------------------------ 1986-87 |520,000 1987-88 |3,708,698 1988-89 |3,750,000 1989-90 |3,000,000 1990-91 |2,621,000 1991-92 |3,700,000 1992-93 |3,900,000 1993-94 |3,826,000 1994-95 |1,928,000
Other funding has been provided to NCVQ by the Employment Department and the Department for Education for specific activities to support Government activities. Details of NCVQ's other income are set out in the council's annual reports and accounts, copies of which are available in the Libraries.
Rules and Regulations
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what requirements there are for officials in his Department to introduce a compliance cost assessment for all rules and regulations coming before him and his Ministers; and how many compliance cost assessments have been issued in his Department in the first three months of this year. [19345]
Mr. Oppenheim [holding answer 18 April 1995]: For a statement of Government policy on the preparation and publication of compliance cost assessments, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Corporate Affairs on 19 April 1995, Official Report, columns 189 90.
Proposals from the Health and Safety Executive are accompanied by cost- benefit analyses rather than CCAs. CBAs compare the costs of compliance, both to the employer and to the economy, with the expected benefits of the measures proposed and include all the information required in a CCA. All CCAs and CBAs accompanying draft legislation are published. In the first three months of 1995, the Department has contributed to a CCA published by the Department of Social Security and two CBAs have been released into the public domain.
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many rules and regulations he repealed in the first three months of 1995; and how many new rules and regulations were introduced in that period by way of statutory instruments, motions or orders. [19359]
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Mr. Oppenheim [holding answer 18 April 1995]: Only two of the statutory instruments made by the Employment Department in the first three months of 1995 introduced new regulations. These revoked seven previous sets of regulations as well as specified provisions contained in one statute and nine other sets of regulations.
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Exhibitions
Mr. Bill Walker: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if he has considered an application for an exhibition relating to overseas trade services to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.
Mr. Michael J. Martin: I understand that, under procedures agreed by the Administration Committee,
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arrangements have been made for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from Monday 24 April to Friday 28 April 1995.ENVIRONMENT
Rents
Mr. Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the average percentage increase in rent levels registered by rent officers (a) in London and (b) in the rest of England together with the comparable increases and decreases in (i) the retail price index and (ii) average house prices in each of the years from 1988 to 1994. [18780]
Mr. Curry: The available information is given in the tables:
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Registrations by rent officers 1988-1994
Percentage change on previous rent, unfurnished re-registrations
Private Housing
association
London per cent. |Rest of England per|Year |London per cent. |Rest of England per
|cent. |cent.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
18 |18 |1988 |18 |15
18 |19 |1989 |19 |16
20 |23 |1990 |21 |20
22 |26 |1991 |23 |22
23 |26 |1992 |23 |22
23 |22 |1993 |21 |20
22 |19 |<1>1994 |19 |15
Rents are registered for a period of two years. The percentage changes on previous rent refer to this period.
<1> 1994 figures are based on data for January-September.
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United Kingdom United Kingdom
retail
prices index all mix-adjusted
items house price
Year January 1987=100 index 1990=100
|Annual |Annual
|percentage |percentage
|Index |change |Index |change
------------------------------------------------------------------
1988 |106.9 |4.9 |83.8 |25.6
1989 |115.2 |7.8 |101.3 |20.9
1990 |126.1 |9.5 |100.0 |-1.3
1991 |133.5 |5.9 |98.6 |-1.4
1992 |138.5 |3.7 |94.9 |-3.8
1993 |140.7 |1.6 |92.5 |-2.5
1994 |144.1 |2.4 |93.9 |1.5
Mr. Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many rent officer registrations have been referred (a) by the landlord and (b) by the tenant or another party to the rent assessment committee (i) in London and (ii) in the rest of England in each of the years from 1988 to 1994; and what proportion of these led to the fair rent being confirmed, increased or reduced by comparison with the rent officer's decision. [18715]
Mr. Curry: Information collected on referrals to rent assessment committees does not identify the applicant. Statistics on RAC decisions, including the proportion of cases where rents were reduced, confirmed or increased compared with the rent officer's determination, have been published quarterly in "Rent Officer Statistics" since 1990. Prior to this information was published half yearly
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in "Statistical Notes for Rent Officers". Both these series are available in the Library.Construction Industry
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will announce his conclusions on the recommendations of the Latham report. [19316]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: I refer to the answer given to the hon. Member for Ilford, South (Mr. Gapes) on 5 April, Official Report, columns 1283 84. Further to that answer, a consultation document on proposals for legislation on liability and latent defects insurance was published on 12 April; we hope to publish a second consultation paper shortly on legislation to underpin Sir Michael's
recommendations on fair construction contracts.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy on the Latham report's proposal of standard contract documents for the construction industry. [19310]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: We shall be consulting shortly on proposals for legislation to underpin Sir Michael Latham's recommendations on fair construction contracts.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the interest receipts element in the all other services block of standard spending assessments
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for each district, borough and metropolitan council, including London, for the years 1993 94, 1994 95 and 1995 96. [19829]Mr. Curry [holding answer 18 April 1995]: A table containing the information requested has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what interest receipts were earned by each district, borough and metropolitan council, including London, for 1993 94, separating the capital financing element from other receipts; and what are the budgeted estimates for interest receipts of these councils for1994 95 and for 1995 96 where available. [19830]
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Mr. Curry [holding answer 18 April 1995]: I have placed the available information in the Library of the House.
Housing Partnership Fund
Mrs. Maddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many applications were received in total by his Department for the housing partnership fund for 1995 96 in each region of England; and what was the total amount bid for (a) by successful bids and (b) by all bidders in each region. [19888]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: The information is provided in the table.
Government office |Successful bids |Amount bid for (£)|Total bids |Total bid for (£) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South East |18 |3,213,000 |94 |19,886,503 South West |18 |2,079,000 |93 |11,796,000 West Midlands |21 |3,086,800 |56 |10,212,000 Eastern |19 |2,138,836 |64 |13,439,212 East Midlands |19 |1,926,000 |61 |6,560,693 London |45 |9,679,784 |158 |43,966,656 Yorkshire and Humbershire |21 |2,712,000 |37 |5,233,251 Merseyside |5 |762,000 |22 |3,396,461 North East |19 |1,601,575 |42 |6,693,029 North West |35 |2,801,000 |127 |14,954,000
Mrs. Maddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many applications were received in total by his Department for the housing partnership fund for 1995-96 for (a) energy efficiency projects, (b) the re -use of empty property and (c) flats over shops schemes; and what was the total amount bid in each case. [19889]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: There were (a) 41 successful bids for energy efficiency schemes totalling £4,657,000, (b) 134 successful bids for re-use of empty property totalling £19,738,000 and (c) 39 successful bids for flats over shops schemes totalling £3,929,000. There is, of course, some overlap between these categories. Information on the numbers of applications for different types of schemes is not held centrally.
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Mr. Dafis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to raise at the forthcoming meeting of the Commission for Sustainable Development the rate of progress of Canada in meeting its target for carbon dioxide emissions in 2000. [19808]
Mr. Atkins: None. The question of carbon dioxide emissions and climate change is not on the agenda for discussion at the CSD meeting.
Community Charge
Mr. Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of uncollected community charge (a) nationally and (b) for each district council in Nottinghamshire. [19884]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: The outstanding arrears of community charge in England as at 31 March 1994 were estimated to be £1,700 million, of which £217 million had been collected by December 1994. No data are yet available centrally on the amount of community charge written off between April and December 1994.
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Estimates of uncollected community charge for each local authority, including the district councils in Nottinghamshire, are published regularly by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy: figures for 31 March 1994 are available in its revenue collection statistics 1993 94 publication, a copy of which can be found in the Library of the House.Ordnance Survey
Mr. Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what performance targets have been set for the Ordnance Survey executive agency in the year1995 96. [20350]
Mr. Atkins: The following performance targets have been set for Ordnance Survey in 1995 96.
1. To recover at least 80 per cent. of the total costs incurred by the agency.
2. To offer customers national coverage of Superplan by 31 December 1995.
3. To increase progressively the percentage of major detail which is surveyed and available to customers in the national topographic database so that, by the year 2000, 99 per cent. is available at any one time. The target for 1995 96 is 95 per cent. 4. In order to provide a quality supply service to customers, to dispatch products in response to valid orders as follows:
95 per cent. of Land-Line digital map units within six working days.
90 per cent. of small-scale maps within five working days. 5. To increase by 6 per cent. the annual revenue earned per member of staff employed.
These targets require further improvements on good performance by Ordnance Survey in previous years and recognise the importance of customers to the success of the agency.
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Environment Agency
Mr. Anthony Coombs: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps are being taken to appoint the chief executive of the proposed Environment Agency. [20810]
Mr. Atkins: Now that the Environment Bill has received a Second Reading in the Commons, thereby indicating parliamentary support for the principle of the Bill, I have informed the environment agency advisory committee that it may start the recruitment of the chief executive of the proposed Environment Agency. The successful candidate will not be formally appointed chief executive until the Bill has received Royal Assent.
Parliamentary approval to this expenditure will be sought in a summer supplementary estimate for the Department of the Environment's environmental protection and water vote--class VII, vote 3. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £55,000 will be met by repayable advances for the Contingencies Fund.
This expenditure is required to meet the cost of recruiting the chief executive. Its urgency arises from the need to have the chief executive in place as soon as possible after Royal Assent to ensure that public funds are properly protected and to enable rapid progress with the establishment of the agency.
Mr. Mans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to issue a draft of the guidance to be provided to the Environment Agency on its objectives, including the contribution it is to make towards the achievement of sustainable development. [21032]
Mr. Gummer: Together with my right hon. Friends the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretary of State for Wales, I am today issuing this draft guidance to inform debate on the Environment Bill. It expands on the draft outline scoping guidance issued by my right hon. Friend Lord Ullswater on 17 January 1995.
EDUCATION
Special Needs
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations she has received on the new special educational needs code of practice; and if she intends to keep to the August 1995 deadline for the code of practice. [19883]
Mr. Forth: The code of practice came into effect in September 1994. It has been widely welcomed as reflecting existing best practice, although there are naturally concerns in some schools about the process of implementation. Schools are required to publish their special educational needs policy by 1 August 1995. There are no plans to extend this deadline.
Public Bodies
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to her answers of 30 March, Official Report, column 718 , on public bodies, when she intends to write to the hon. Member for Bath with the information requested. [19976]
Mr. Boswell: A response to the question relating to the running costs of non-departmental public bodies sponsored by this Department was given to the hon.
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Member on 18 April 1995, Official Report , columns 50-52 . Additional information is being obtained. I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested very shortly.PRIME MINISTER
Dr. Martin Gilbert
Mr. Mandelson: To ask the Prime Minister under whose auspices and at whose cost Dr. Martin Gilbert has been travelling on the Prime Minister's official visit to America. [18977]
The Prime Minister: The cost of Dr. Gilbert's journey was met by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Annual Reports
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much staff time, and at what estimated cost, was put into compiling the departmental annual report; and what were the figures for each year for which figures are available since 1990. [20181]
Mr. Horam: This information is not held centrally and could be made available only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what measures the Department takes to assess the cost and staff implications of compiling material for the departmental annual report. [20182]
Mr. Horam: The compilation of material for the Cabinet Office departmental report involves, in many cases only briefly, a large number of staff throughout the Department, its agencies, HMSO and the Central Office of Information.
No record is kept of the amount of time spent.
Mahogany
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many metres of mahogany or products containing it his Department has bought in the last five years; and if he will list the purposes and the costs. [19848]
Mr. David Hunt: This information is not available.
Executive Agencies
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many Government agencies there are at present. [20063]
Mr. Horam: There are currently 108 executive agencies established under the next steps programme.
Market Testing
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will place in the Library copies of each standard letter of guidance or set of instructions on issues of conflicts of interest arising from market- testing or contractorisation on the Government-owned, contractor-operated and Government-owned, Government-operated models. [20306]
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Mr. Horam: Guidance is set out in paragraphs 6.10 to 6.12 and paragraph 6.16 of the Government's "Guide to Market Testing", which is available in the Library.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
AEA Technology
Mr. Carrington: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what arrangements have been made to appoint advisers in connection with the privatisation of AEA Technology. [20813]
Mr. Page: I am currently considering bids from financial and legal advisers in connection with the privatisation of AEA Technology. Appointments will be made shortly.
Parliamentary approval to this new service is being sought in the main supply estimates 1995 96 for the Department of Trade and Industry vote; programmes and administration--class IV, vote 1. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £750,000 will be met by repayable advances from the Contingencies Fund.
Industry Council
Mr. Hendry: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the outcome of the meeting of the EC Industry Council held in Luxembourg on 7 April. [20973]
Mr. Eggar: I represented the United Kingdom at this meeting. The Council adopted three sets of conclusions: on industrial competitiveness, industrial co-operation with central and eastern Europe and high-technology industries. The meeting heard oral reports from the Commission on the implementation of competition policy in 1994 and on the monitoring of the six article 95 steel state aid decisions approved in December 1993. On the latter, I underline the importance of the conditions imposed by the Council being fulfilled and that we would want to look closely at the Commission's written report when it appears. The Commission gave a short oral report on the outcome of the G7 ministerial conference on the information society held in Brussels in February. Finally, there was a Commission presentation of its plans to establish common industry/research task forces within the Commission. No votes were taken on any of the issues on the agenda.
Companies House
Mr. Morgan: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance note dated 24 March 1995 from senior management to all staff at Companies House on conflicts of interest in the contractorisation process of Companies House. [20305]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: I have placed in the Library of the House a copy of the guidance on conduct which has been drawn to the attention of Companies House staff.
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NORTHERN IRELAND
Official Entertainment
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the amount spent on entertaining by each Minister in the Northern Ireland Office in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [18967]
Sir John Wheeler: The information requested is listed and includes costs for VIP visits, official dinners and lunches and tea and coffee for visitors:
|£
---------------------------------
Sir Patrick Mayhew |24,217
Mr. Michael Ancram |10,561
Sir J. Wheeler |8,528
Baroness Denton |9,942
Mr. M. Moss |4,645
Mr. T. Smith |2,367
United States Money
Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make it his policy that any money given to Northern Ireland by the United States will count as extra resources and that the Government will not give less money to Northern Ireland as a result. [19874]
Sir John Wheeler: That is Government policy. Money from the United States does not affect public expenditure levels in Northern Ireland.
Animal Diseases
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases of swine vesicular disease were reported each year since 1985. [19726]
Mr. Ancram: None. There has never been a case of swine vesicular disease in Northern Ireland.
Government Loans Fund
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the outstanding amounts from the Government Loans Fund for each of the Northern Ireland district councils; and what is the cost per head of population. [19733]
Sir John Wheeler [holding answer 18 April 1995]: The Government Loans Fund was abolished by articles 7 to 15 of the Financial Provisions (Northern Ireland) Order 1983 and its functions were transferred to the Consolidated Fund for Northern Ireland. The amounts owed to the Consolidated Fund at the year ended31 March 1994 in respect of Government loans by each of the district councils are set out in the table:
|£
--------------------------------------------------------
Antrim borough council |4,408,035
Ards borough council |3,958,589
Armagh district council |4,853,541
Ballymena borough council |1,526,375
Ballymoney borough council |1,856,548
Banbridge district council |3,862,164
Belfast city council |15,449,088
Carrickfergus borough council |525,735
Castlereagh borough council |8,753,533
Coleraine borough council |3,369,164
Cookstown district council |293,187
Craigavon borough council |2,652,632
Derry city council |13,359,039
Down district council |5,452,358
Dungannon district council |1,348,878
Fermanagh district council |1,268,524
Larne borough council |3,403,134
Limavady district council |1,798,610
Lisburn borough council |3,086,063
Magherafelt district council |955,183
Moyle district council |2,039,776
Newry and Mourne district council |12,673,242
Newtownabbey borough council |10,110,947
North Down borough council |10,711,612
Omagh district council |4,862,266
Strabane district council |3,716.344
This equates to approximately £79 per head of population of Northern Ireland.
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