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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 2 May 1995
HOME DEPARTMENT
Dog Breeders
Mr. Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to introduce legislation to require dog breeding establishments to incorporate RSPCA guidelines and to be registered with the Kennel Club. [22057]
(2) what representations he has received about the conditions and welfare of dogs at breeding establishments, and if he will make a statement. [22056]
Mr. Nicholas Baker : My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans for extending the current legal controls over dog breeding establishments.
All domestic and captive animals are protected against ill treatment by the Protection of Animals Act 1911. Additionally, establishments where dogs are bred for sale are subject to the controls of the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973, which requires dog breeders to be licensed by the local authority. It is for local authorities, which have extensive powers to check on the standards of health, welfare and accommodation of the dogs, to enforce the legislation. These powers were strengthened by the Breeding of Dogs Act 1991, which allows local authorities to enter under warrant any premises other than domestic dwellings, where it is believed that a dog breeding business is carried out.
The Department has received 11 letters from Members of Parliament following an article on dog breeding establishments published by the News of the World on 16 April 1995.
Civil Servants
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the individual value of each (a) compulsory early retirement and (b) flexible early retirement package received by civil servants leaving his Department on grounds of limited efficiency in each of the last five years. [22084]
Mr. Howard: This information is not readily available.
Anti-Semitic Material
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has made to the Irish Government about anti- Semiti c material being distributed within or from the Republic; and if he will make a statement. [22303]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: None. The distribution of any such material within the Irish Republic is a matter for the Irish Government. I am not aware of any specific concerns regarding its possible distribution to the United Kingdom.
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Prison Service Plans
Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the Prison Service's plans for the period 1995 to 1998. [22402]
Mr. Howard: The Prison Service's corporate plan for 1995 to 1998, together with its business plan setting out its detailed programme of work for 1995 96, are being published today. Copies are being placed in the Library.
The business plan sets as the service's top priority for 1995 96 improvement in performance on security. The other priorities are implementing incentives for good behaviour by prisoners; implementing the controls on temporary release I announced on 18 November 1994, and ensuring that every prison has an effective strategy for detecting and dealing with drug abuse.
The business plan also sets out the service's key targets for 1995 96, which are:
1. To ensure that no category A prisoners escape.
2. To ensure that the total numbers of escapes from prison establishments and from escorts, expressed as a percentage of the average prison population, is at least 25 per cent. lower than in 1994 95.
3. To ensure that the rate of assaults on staff, prisoners and others, expressed as a percentage of the average prison population, is lower than in 1994 95.
4. To ensure that no prisoners are held three to a cell in accommodation intended for one prisoner, subject to ensuring that no prisoners are held in police cells unless this is absolutely unavoidable.
5. To ensure that all prisoners have access to sanitation at all times by the end of February 1996, provided that the prison population does not increase significantly above current projections and there is no major unplanned loss of accommodation.
6. To ensure that prisoners spend, on average, at least 25.5 hours per week in purposeful activity.
7. To ensure that by 31 March 1996 at least 38 per cent. of prisoners are held in establishments where prisoners are unlocked on weekdays for at least 12 hours, provided this can be supported by an active and constructive regime.
8. To ensure that all prisoners have the opportunity to exceed minimum visiting entitlements, subject to qualifying under earned incentive schemes.
9. To ensure that the average cost per prisoner place does not exceed £24,600.
Drugs Control
Mr. Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when was the last time that he met Dr. Lee Brown, director of the United States Office of National Drug Control Policy; and what was the purpose of the meeting. [22403]
Mr. Howard: I last met Dr. Brown on 24 April to sign a memorandum of understanding on counter-drug technologies. The memorandum of understanding will promote co-operation between my Department and his on the development of technologies to assist the fight against drugs. Four key areas will initially be covered by the programme of cooperation. These are information technology, treatment and prevention of drug misuse, police communications and surveillance technologies, and systems for detecting illicit goods. The signing of the memorandum of understanding is another example of this country's determination to work with others to tackle the international menace of drugs misuse.
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Deportees
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many pregnant women given refusal notices or deported have (a) given birth or (b) had medical difficulties on the aircraft in each of the last five years; [21983]
(2) how many women, pregnant over 30 weeks, were given refusal notices in each of the last five years and returned to the country from which they departed for the United Kingdom. [21984]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: The information requested is not available.
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people lawfully resident in the United Kingdom and without any charges or criminal convictions against them have been deported on grounds of national security in the past five years; and what was their average length of lawful residence in the United Kingdom. [21891]
Mr. Nicholas Baker [holding answer 1 May 1995]: One person without a charge or criminal conviction against him has been removed from the United Kingdom under the deportation process on grounds of national security in the last five years. He had been resident in the United Kingdom for nearly three years at the time of removal. This excludes persons who departed voluntarily after being issued with a notice of intention to deport.
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many residents, lawfully in the United Kingdom and without any charges or criminal convictions against them, have been the subject of deportation orders in the last five years; [21591] (2) how many people, lawfully resident in the United Kingdom for more than 10 years and without any charges or criminal convictions, have been subject to deportation orders in the last 10 years. [21592]
Mr. Nicholas Baker [holding answer 28 April 1995]: The available information relates to all persons issued with a notice of intention to deport on national security grounds. Identifying and excluding those with a charge or criminal conviction against them would involve disproportionate cost. Some 202 such notices have been issued since 1990, including 176 at the time of the Gulf war. Six persons who have lived in the United Kingdom for more than 10 years have been issued with such a notice since 1985.
TREASURY
Investment Companies
Mr. Carrington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made with the Treasury's plans for legislation to enable the formation of open-ended investment companies in the United Kingdom. [22401]
Mr. Nelson: The Treasury has today published a consultation document containing draft regulations to be made, subject to the approval of both Houses, under the European Communities Act 1972. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library.
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The regulations will permit a new investment vehicle which will be a type of collective investment scheme, like the familiar authorised unit trust, but constituted as a corporate body. Its shareholders will pool their investment funds and thus gain the advantage of access to expert investment management with the ability to spread their investment risks. The open-ended investment company has been formulated deliberately to offer the same standard of investor protection as the unit trust but using a more modern and flexible approach.The draft ECA regulations will establish a special purpose corporate code which delineates the basic structure of the open ended investment company. Each company will have a board, including a designated corporate director charged with day-to-day responsibility for managing the invested assets of the company, which will be held in trust by a depositary. The company will have annual general meetings at which the directors will account to the company's shareholders for their stewardship of the company and its assets. To complete the regulatory framework for the open ended investment company, the Securities and Investments Board will issue product regulations, about which it will also consult shortly. These regulations will specify that shares in open-ended investment companies are to be bought and sold at a single price on each trading day, in contrast to the spread between the prices at which units in unit trusts are bought and sold now. SIB will also regulate the different classes of shares which open-ended investment companies may have. These regulations will allow umbrella companies with a number of subfunds each allotted to a different category of investments. In due course there will also be regulations made under the Finance Act 1995 to define the tax treatment of open ended investment companies. The new regime will be equivalent to the taxation arrangements for authorised unit trusts.
Because the proposed regulations are to be made under the ECA, they will permit only open ended investment companies which satisfy the UCITS-- undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities-- directive. Subject to further consultation, the Treasury is also exploring the scope for widening the investment and borrowing powers available to open ended investment companies by means of an order made under the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994.
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Civil Servants
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the individual value of each (a) compulsory early retirement and (b) flexible early retirement package received by civil servants leaving his Department on grounds of limited efficiency in each of the last five years.
Mr. John M. Taylor: This information is not held by my Department in a readily accessible form. The information which the hon. Member has requested is being collated and I will provide him with a substantive answer shortly.
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ENVIRONMENT
Endangered Species
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many import permits for the convention on international trade in endangered species appendix I species of cranes his Department has issued in 1994 and 1995. [21831]
Sir Paul Beresford: In 1994 my Department issued nine permits allowing the import of specimens of crane listed in appendix I of CITES. So far, in 1995, one permit has been issued.
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the population of (a) pine martens (b) peregrine falcons, (c) hen harriers and (d) sparrowhawks in each year since 1980; and what is his estimate of the amount of damage each species does to game birds. [21850]
Sir Paul Beresford: My Department's statutory advisors, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, advise that annual population estimates are not available for these species. Specific surveys have been undertaken for each species since 1980 and the most up-to-date figures for England are as follows:
l
Year |Species |Population
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1987-88 |Pine marten |100 individuals
1991 |Peregrine falcons |308 pairs
1993 |Hen harriers |16 pairs
1986 |Sparrowhawks |There is no separate
|figure for England,
|but the population in
|Great Britain was last
|estimated at 32,000 pairs.
There is no reliable information available on whether pine marten, peregrine falcons, hen harriers and sparrowhawks affect game bird populations.
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Leeds Development Corporation
Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much was spent on public relations and publicity by the Leeds development corporation in each financial year of its existence. [21610]
Sir Paul Beresford: Leeds development corporation's expenditure on public relations and publicity, which includes the corporation's promotional and marketing activity was £223,000 in 1988 89, £324,000 in 1989 90, £480,000 in 1990 91, £499,000 in 1991 92, £300,000 in 1992 93, £250,000 in 1993 94 and £228,000 in 1994 95. These payments constitute about 3 per cent. of the corporation's expenditure, which has attracted a total of £357 millions of private sector investment--a public to private leverage ratio of 1 to 6.4.
Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the assets transferred from the Leeds development corporation to Leeds city council, together with their value. [21612]
Sir Paul Beresford: Amenity and highway land with a nil market value were transferred from Leeds development corporation's ownership to Leeds city council prior to the winding up of the corporation. In addition, an endowment of £200,001 has been paid to the city council to cover maintenance in perpetuity of landscaping works undertaken by the corporation.
Civil Servants
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the individual value of each (a) compulsory early retirement and (b) flexible early retirement package received by civil servants leaving his Department on grounds of limited efficiency in each of the last five years. [22087]
Sir Paul Beresford: Compensation payments for early retirement on grounds of limited efficiency are age, salary and service related. Details of limited efficiency early retirements for each of the last five financial years are as follows:
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|Annual compensation |Superannuation |Lump sum |Compensation in lieu
|£ |£ |£ |£
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1990-91 Compulsory |None |None |None |Not available in the time
Flexible |8,212 |24,935 |Nil | given
1991-92 Compulsory |None |None |None |Not available in the time
Flexible |10,515 |31,543 |Nil | given
1992-93 Compulsory |None |None |None |Not available in the time
Flexible |10,138 |27,288 |Nil | given
1993-94 Compulsory |10,590 |30,801 |15,103 |Not available in the time
Flexible |26,888 |80,665 |16,611 | given
1994-95 Compulsory |None |None |None |Not available in the time
Flexible |None |None |None | given
Local Government Bodies
Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will announce a timetable for the review of metropolitan authority boundaries with
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particular reference to Southport, Merseyside and Lancashire. [22001]Mr. Curry: We are considering whether to direct the Local Government Commission to conduct boundary reviews of certain metropolitan areas, and will make an
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announcement in due course. We expect that any reviews of metropolitan areas will be conducted after the commission has completed the shire district structural reviews, which we hope will be by early 1996.Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will make an announcement in response to the final recommendation of the Local Government Commission concerning the move of Billericay from Basildon district council to form Brentwood and Billericay district council. [22002]
Mr. Curry: Basildon district is to be referred to the Local Government Commission for a further review which will examine the structure of local government in the area. No decision on boundaries can sensibly be taken until the commission has made its recommendations on the wider question of structure.
Cammell Laird Site, Birkenhead
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will report the progress which has been made since last summer with his attempts to use the offices of English Partnership to set up a venture with English Partnerships and VSEL on the Lairds site in Birkenhead. [22213]
Sir Paul Beresford: English Partnerships and VSEL have been working closely together on proposals for the redevelopment of the Cammell Laird site. One important objective, the continued use of the northern part of the site for ship repair activity, has been secured following the announcement today of the sale of that part of the site to the newly named Cammell Laird Industries. This follows closely on the decision of Mackie Automotive Systems to establish themselves in one of the existing buildings on the southern part of the site. VSEL and English Partnerships intend to continue to work together within a broad framework to achieve development of the rest of the site and build on the increased industrial interest that is being shown; they are discussing the form that arrangement might take.
Housing Benefit (Reversionary Interest)
Mr. Rooker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will change the housing benefit regulations to adopt the definition of reversionary interest in use in Northern Ireland. [20346]
Mr. Roger Evans: I have been asked to reply.
A recent Court of Appeal judgment has held that property in England or Wales which the claimant owns but which is let to tenants is a reversionary interest. This means that in all cases the value of such property has to be disregarded as a capital resource when entitlement to housing benefit is assessed. We propose to bring forward amending regulations to rectify this situation. We are currently considering the form that this amendment should take.
PRIME MINISTER
Engagements
Sir Peter Tapsell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 2 May. [20380]
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Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 2 May 1995. [20379]
The Prime Minister: This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House, I shall be having further meetings later today.
Barings Bank
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Prime Minister what meetings he has had with directors or executives of Barings bank since 1990. [21130]
The Prime Minister: None. However, directors and executives of Barings bank have been present at a number of functions that I have attended since 1990.
Crown Copyright
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the ownership of (a) top copies of his speeches, (b) treaty agreements signed by him in his capacity as Prime Minister, (c) original copies of letters received by him from her Majesty, (d) original copies of correspondence or other communications received by him from the heads of Government and (e) original copies of correspondence, minutes, records of meetings or other documents and communications with or in relation to or from ministers or public bodies. [22216]
The Prime Minister: Papers in all the categories listed belong to the Crown, with the exception of top copies of speeches made in a personal capacity or as a constituency Member of Parliament, and correspondence of a purely personal nature.
Churchill Documents
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral answer of 27 April to the right hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Ashdown), Official Report , column 97 , if he will place in the Library details of those papers of Sir Winston Churchill being purchased by the national heritage memorial fund. [22215]
The Prime Minister: This is a matter for the national heritage memorial fund. I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member, placing a copy of his letter in the Library of the House.
Equal Opportunities
Ms Eagle: To ask the Prime Minister (1) what progress has been made within his Department on equal opportunities matters; [21512] (2) what progress he hopes to achieve in his Department over the next three months to push forward the declaration signed in October 1994 at the Vienna conference in preparation for the fourth UN conference on women; and if he will agree to incorporate a section on equal opportunities in his Department's annual report; [21514] (3) if he will publish the gender assessment being prepared by his Department; [21513]
(4) which Minister in his Department has responsibility for equal opportunities issues. [21511]
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The Prime Minister: For these purposes, my office is part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the replies given today by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service and Science.
Conflicts of Interest
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions during the last five years (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers in his Department or its agencies have declared conflicts of interest; and how many instructions have been issued about their retention, disposal or management. [21392]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 1 May 1995]: For this purpose, my office is part of the Cabinet Office and I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 1 May Official Report, column 77.
Market Testing
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Prime Minister, if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with market-testing programmes in which his Department has been engaged since their inception. [21381]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 1 May 1995]: For this purpose my office is part of the Cabinet Office and I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 1 May Official Report, column 76.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Auditors Supervisory Bodies
Mr. Lidington: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he has received the third annual reports of the recognised supervisory bodies for company auditors under part II of the Companies Act 1989; and if he will make a statement. [22600]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: I have received the third annual reports of all the recognised supervisory bodies for company auditors, and have placed copies in the Library of the House. My Department will be discussing the contents of the reports with the bodies.
Film Distribution Industry
Mr. Cran: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy to promote competition in the film distribution industry in the United Kingdom. [21989]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: Following the Monopolies and Mergers Commission report on the supply of films for exhibition in cinemas in the UK, published on 6 October 1994, the Director General of Fair Trading is currently, at my request, seeking undertakings from nine distributors and six exhibitors named as monopolists in the report to cease the practice of alignment and to restrict minimum exhibition periods. The DGFT will report to me on the outcome of his negotiations by 10 July 1995.
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Ship Building
Mr. Loyden: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the gross tonnage of merchant ships built in UK yards in each year since 1965; and if he will make a statement. [21868]
Mr. Page: The information is in the table:
Merchant ships built in UK yards Year |1,000 gross tonnes --------------------------------------------------------- 1965 |1,204 1966 |1,130 1967 |1,192 1968 |1,046 1969 |814 1970 |1,297 1971 |1,259 1972 |1,208 1973 |1,069 1974 |1,189 1975 |1,203 1976 |1,460 1977 |1,007 1978 |1,135 1979 |707 1980 |431 1981 |217 1982 |453 1983 |540 1984 |411 1985 |225 1986 |106 1987 |247 1988 |31 1989 |106 1990 |134 1991 |110 1992 |229 1993 |288 1994 |224 Source: CSO-Annual Abstract of Statistics
Insolvency Service
Mr. McAllion: To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he intends to lay before Parliament a draft enabling order for contracting out work of the Insolvency Service agency. [21809]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: A draft order to enable the contracting out of certain of the Official Receivers' functions was laid before Parliament for the approval of both Houses on Friday 28 April 1995.
Nuclear Installations Inspectorate
Mr. McFall: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what discussions he has had with the nuclear installations inspectorate over the possible awarding of licences for operators; [22062] (2) what discussions he has had recently with Her Majesty's chief inspector of nuclear installations. [22064]
Mr. Page: I have had no recent discussions with the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate although my officials have frequent discussions with it on issues relating to its nuclear regulatory activities.
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Telephone Services, Northern Ireland
Mr. McGrady: To ask the President of the Board of Trade when competition will be introduced to the supply of telephone services in Northern Ireland. [21124]
Mr. Ian Taylor: Competition has existed in the supply of telecommunications services in Northern Ireland for some years, in the form of Mercury and mobile cellular services. Further competition will be introduced by the issue of a local delivery operator licence for cable. Applications for the Northern Ireland LDO franchise are currently under consideration and a franchise will be awarded in due course.
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Civil Servants
Mr. Milburn: To ask the President to the Board of Trade if he will list the individual value of each (a) compulsory early retirement and (b) flexible early retirement package received by civil servants leaving his Department on grounds of limited efficiency in each of the last five years. [22077]
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