| Home Page |
Column 261
Written Answers to Questions
Thursday, 8 June 1995
TREASURY
Debtor Countries
Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of 80 per cent. official bilateral debt write-off for all severely indebted low-income countries; [25375]
(2) what is the cost to the Exchequer of bilateral debt write-off of 67 per cent. for developing countries under the Naples terms. [25374]
Mr. Nelson: The face value of debt reduction as a result of a 67 per cent. write-off of official bilateral debt owed to ECGD and ODA by developing countries which are eligible for Naples terms would be approximately £630 million. The corresponding figure for an 80 per cent. write-off of official bilateral debt owed to ECGD and ODA by severely indebted low-income countries would be approximately £750 million.
However, these figures represent only the face value written off. Debt reduction under the Naples terms is implemented on the recognition that the beneficiaries would never have been able to pay the debt in full: 67 per cent. debt reduction reflects the ability of those countries to pay and cannot therefore be said to represent a cost to the Exchequer.
Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is the current total of outstanding debt owed to the United Kingdom by developing countries. [25377]
Mr. Nelson: The total outstanding debt owed to ECGD and the ODA by developing countries--excluding Russia and eastern Europe--is £6.4 billion.
Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the value to the United Kingdom of debt interest payments from developing countries in 1994 95 from (a) payments to the Overseas Development Administration, (b) payments to the Export Credits Guarantee Department, (c) payments to the Commonwealth Development Corporation and (d) in total. [25378]
Mr. Nelson: Debt interest payments from developing
countries--excluding Russia and eastern Europe--in 1994 95 were (a) ODA £6.8 million, (b) ECGD £150 million, (c) CDC £105.8 million, (d) total £262.6 million.
Statistics
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the price charged at current prices for a complete set of Business Monitors in 1979, and Prodcom statistics in 1995, to (a) a private company and (b) a public library; and what calculations have led to the difference. [26363]
Mr. Nelson: The price in 1979 for a full set of Business Monitors , adjusted to today's prices, was £1,430 to a private company. The price charged in 1995 for a full set of "UK Markets", a considerably expanded and more
Column 262
comprehensive set of reports which include trade data as well as Prodcom, is £4,950 to a private company. Sales of Business Monitors to public libraries in 1979 would have attracted a discount of 50 per cent. In 1995 a complete set of "UK Markets" is available to public libraries in hard copy at £4,950, but is also available on CD-ROM in a special library edition at £3,950.Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if Taylor Nelson AGB plc has a monopoly on the publication of statistics; what plans he has to allow a private statistics company to produce the complete Prodcom statistics on microfiche and sell those complete tables in that medium to libraries, and if he will make a statement. [26365]
Mr. Nelson: Taylor Nelson AGB does not have a monopoly on the publication of Government or Central Statistical Office statistics. HMSO remains the major publisher of CSO data. There are currently no plans for a private sector company to release Prodcom on microfiche. It is already available in hard copy, CD-ROM and I-Fax, and plans are in hand to include it on the CSO's electronic databank. If any proposals are received they will be considered on their merits.
City Institutions (Assets)
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the value of assets controlled by City institutions indicating the proportion which are British-owned and controlled. [27078]
Mr. Nelson: Information on holdings of financial assets by UK financial institutions are shown in tables 9.1E to 9.1H of Financial Statistics , which is available from the Library of the House.
Investment in Industry
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update his written answer to the (then) hon. Member for Dagenham, Mr. Gould, of 28 July 1983, Official Report , columns 568-9 , showing the level of investment in British industry. [27128]
Mr. Nelson: Estimates at 1990 prices of capital expenditure by the industries covered by the index of industrial production and by manufacturing for the years 1965 to 1994 are shown in the following table.
£ million at 1990
prices
|(Of which)
Year |IOIP industries|manufacturing
----------------------------------------------------------------
1965 |18,404 |10,466
1966 |19,628 |10,796
1967 |20,017 |10,583
1968 |19,290 |11,370
1969 |19,016 |12,107
1970 |19,481 |13,022
1971 |18,138 |12,190
1772 |15,963 |10,591
1973 |16,511 |10,998
1974 |18,882 |12,153
1975 |20,326 |11,214
1976 |21,216 |10,641
1977 |20,801 |11,074
1978 |22,353 |12,838
1979 |22,298 |13,558
1980 |21,058 |12,307
1981 |18,984 |9,985
1982 |18,772 |9,518
1983 |18,661 |9,413
1984 |19,825 |10,975
1985 |21,136 |12,710
1986 |20,014 |12,097
1987 |19,843 |12,641
1988 |21,383 |13,846
1989 |23,330 |14,984
1990 |23,669 |14,227
1991 |24,516 |12,803
1992 |24,516 |11,590
1993 |24,543 |10,989
1994 |21,266 |11,239
<1> Industry groups section C, D and E of the standard
industrial classification 1992.
UK Companies (Overseas Earnings)
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 3 April, Official Report , column 908 , providing information on the overseas earnings of United Kingdom companies, if he will list the corresponding net return on capital invested in each of the years in question. [27072]
Mr. Nelson: The information available is given in table:
Direct investment by United Kingdom companies overseas:
Rate of return on direct investment<1>
Percentage
|Manufacturing
|Industry<2> |All Industries
------------------------------------------------------------
1989 |14.2 |13.0
1990 |13.9 |12.8
1991 |13.4 |10.0
1992 |10.9 |9.2
1993 |10.7 |9.9
<1> Net earnings after depreciation and tax as a percentage
of the outstanding level of investment in book values at
the end of the relevant year. Excludes interest receipts
from overseas affiliates.
<2> Classified by main industrial activity of overseas
affiliate.
Source:
Central Statistical Office.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 3 April, Official
Column 264
Report , column 908 , relating to the overseas earnings of UK companies, if he will publish the corresponding figures for 1979 and 1970. [26929]Mr. Nelson: The information available is given in the table. Prior to 1984 the earnings from direct investment overseas by oil companies are not available, hence figures for all industries cannot be given.
Direct investment by UK companies
overseas: net earnings <1>
£ million
|Manufacturing
|Industry<2>
------------------------------------------
1970 |350
1979 |1,597
<1> Earnings from branches, subsidiaries
and associate companies. Earnings are
defined as profits net of losses, plus
interest receipts net of claims.
<2> Classified by main industrial
activity of overseas affiliate.
Source:
Central Statistical Office.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 3 April, Official Report , column 908 , on the overseas earnings of UK companies, if he will publish the corresponding figures and rates of return on domestic investment distinguishing between (a) manufacturing and (b) other companies. [26928]
Mr. Nelson: No corresponding figures and rates of return are available for domestic investment. However information on rates of return on capital employed are published in the annual CSO First Release [CSO(94)205] "Profitability of UK Companies", last published on 30 September 1994, a copy of which is available in the Library.
Investment
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 22 July 1982, Official Report , columns 291-92 , if he will update the table showing gross and net investment for the whole economy and for manufacturing industry together with undistributed profits. [27125]
Mr. Nelson: The latest estimates of gross and net investment for the whole economy and for manufacturing industry, together with undistributed profits, are shown in the following table.
Column 263
Percentage of gross national product<1>
|1970|1971|1972|1973|1974|1975|1976|1977|1978|1979
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Whole economy
Gross domestic fixed
capital formation
All assets |18.6|18.7|18.3|19.5|20.5|19.7|19.3|18.5|18.3|18.5
Plant and machinery |7.0 |6.8 |6.2 |6.5 |6.7 |6.3 |6.6 |6.6 |6.8 |6.8
Net domestic fixed capital
formation
All assets |9.8 |9.5 |8.9 |9.8 |9.9 |8.8 |8.3 |7.2 |6.9 |7.1
Manufacturing industries<2>
Gross domestic fixed capital
formation |3.9 |3.6 |3.0 |3.0 |3.5 |3.2 |3.0 |3.2 |3.5 |3.5
Net domestic fixed capital
formation |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a
Industrial and commercial
companies
Undistributed profits |8.8 |9.3 |10.4|12.5|11.9|10.0|11.6|12.3|12.3|13.1
<1> Gross national product (GNP) at market prices has been used as the denominator
for investment percentages and GNP at factor cost for the calculation related to
undistributed profits.
<2> Manufacturing is defined as all industries which contribute to Section D of the
Standard Industrial Classification 1992.
Percentage of gross national product<1>
|1980|1981|1982|1983|1984|1985|1986|1987|1988|1989|1990|1991|1992|1993|1994
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Whole economy
Gross domestic fixed capital formation
All assets |17.9|16.1|16.0|15.8|16.7|16.9|16.7|17.6|19.2|20.3|19.5|17.0|15.6|15.0|14.6
Plant and Machinery |6.5 |5.9 |5.8 |5.8 |6.1 |6.6 |6.3 |6.3 |6.6 |7.0 |6.7 |6.0 |5.7 |5.6 |5.6
Net domestic fixed capital formation
All assets |5.9 |3.8 |4.0 |4.1 |5.0 |5.2 |5.1 |6.3 |8.2 |9.4 |8.4 |5.9 |5.0 |4.7 |n/a
Manufacturing industries<2><>
Gross domestic fixed capital formation |3.2 |2.5 |2.3 |2.2 |2.5 |2.9 |2.6 |2.6 |2.6 |2.7 |2.6 |2.3 |2.0 |1.9 |1.9
Net domestic fixed capital formation |n/a |n/a |-0.5|-0.5|-0.1|0.3 |0.1 |0.2 |0.4 |0.5 |0.3 |0.0 |-0.2|-0.2|n/a
Industrial and Commercial Companies
Undistributed profits |9.3 |9.1 |9.1 |10.1|11.1|11.2|10.3|11.7|11.3|9.2 |7.8 |7.3 |7.2 |9.6 |11.3
<1> Gross national product (GNP) at market prices has been used as the denominator for investment percentages and GNP
at factor cost for the calculation related to undistributed profits.
<2> Manufacturing is defined as all industries which contribute to Section D of the Standard Industrial Classification
1992.
Public Access Arrangements
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many owners of land in Lancashire which is conditionally exempt from inheritance tax by virtue of agreed public access arrangements have agreed with the appropriate heritage advisory agencies that access arrangements in (a) should be notified to the local tourist office and town hall, (b) should be publicised by notice or the perimeter of the land itself and (c) are not required to be publicised because public access is already widely known. [26976]
Sir George Young: All six owners of land in Lancashire which is currently conditionally exempt from inheritance tax or capital transfer tax are required to publicise the arrangements for public access to their land as agreed with the appropriate heritage advisory agency.
The heritage advisory agencies discuss with each owner the appropriate level and nature of publicity. Each case is considered individually and all relevant factors, including the existing level of publicity, are taken into account. Although the extent of public access may already be widely known-- for example, where substantial public access is already giventhe owner will normally be required to ensure due publicity for the agreed access arrangements, where appropriate, by advertising the access arrangements in a local tourist office or town hall. For new designations of scenic land in England, owners are required to display at all points of entry on to their land map boards showing the agreed public access.
I am unable to provide more specific information as this would help to identify individual cases of tax exemption, thus compromising the normal rules on taxpayer confidentiality.
Credit Unions
Mr. Purchase: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action is being taken to establish a voluntary share protection scheme for credit unions; what consultation or discussion with credit unions and their promoting bodies has taken place on the need to provide this additional protection for members; and if he will make a statement. [26915]
Mr. Nelson: Section 16 of the Credit Unions Act 1979 gives unions the power to set up or join a share protection scheme, to protect members in the event of the collapse of their union. Any such scheme must be approved by the Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies, but he has no statutory power to require that one be set up.
Column 266
With the growth of the movement in recent years, there should now be sufficient resources within the sector to support a scheme. The Registry of Friendly Societies has strongly encouraged the establishment of one covering all credit unions. The registry is currently in discussions with credit unions' promoting bodies and is offering them its help and advice.Privatisation
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the nationalised industries that have been privatised since 1979; and if he will calculate the total revenue the Government has received from the sale of, and in taxation from, each of the privatised companies since their privatisation. [27263]
Sir George Young: For a list of privatisations and the gross equity proceeds from each, I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave on 30 November 1994, Official Report, column 758. Details of the tax affairs of each company cannot be made public without the prior approval of that company. However, in total, privatised companies paid about £50 million per week in tax in 1994 95.
Inheritance Tax
Mr. Matthew Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to raise the limit below which delivery of an inheritance tax account is not required for administering a deceased person's estate. [27983]
Sir George Young: The Inland Revenue has today laid regulations increasing the limit from £125,000 to £145,000. The increased limit will come into operation on 1 July 1995 for estates of persons dying on or after 6 April 1995. It will simplify the administration of some 7,500 estates.
Income Tax
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer--what are his latest estimates for (a) the south-east and (b) Greater London for (i) the number of income taxpayers, (ii) the number of income taxpayers with gross earnings above £70,000, (iii) the number of income taxpayers with gross earnings above £80,000 and (iv) the number of income taxpayers with gross earnings above £100,000. [25951]
Sir George Young [holding answer 25 May 1995]: The table provides estimates for 1992 93, the latest
Column 267
available year for which information can be provided below the United Kingdom level.
Thousands
|South East |Greater London
---------------------------------------------------------------
Number of income
taxpayers |8,440 |3,190
Number with gross
earnings over
£70,000 |90 |47
Number with gross
earnings over
£80,000 |70 |39
Number with gross
earnings over
£100,000 |46 |27
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
British Coal Loans
Mr. Hain: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a table of loans made by British Coal for each year between 1985 and 1993. [26994]
Mr. Page: British Coal makes loans to its employees and to members of the corporation, and to its wholly owned subsidiary
undertakings--the latter with the consent of the Secretary of State and the approval of the Treasury. The aggregate outstanding balances on these loans are published in the corporation's report and accounts, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
Newspaper Carriage Charges
Mr. Madden: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many newsagents have referred to arbitration carriage charges levied by news wholesalers; what was the outcome in each case; and if he will make a statement. [27032]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: An appeals system to consider disputes between retailers and newspaper wholesalers concerning serious breaches of terms and conditions of supply has been established voluntarily by the industry. Information about cases handled may be obtained from the Association of Newspaper and Magazine Wholesalers.
Export Unit Values
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 3 April, Official Report, columns 902 3, concerning the percentage change in United Kingdom export unit values relative to those of the Six, if he will publish the corresponding figures (a) the non-EEC countries and (b) the other EEC countries. [26559]
Mr. Ian Taylor: The information requested relating to non-EEC countries is given in the table. Unit value indices for manufactured goods are only readily available for those EEC countries listed in table D6 of the Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
Column 268
Percentage change on previous quarter in UK export unit
values
relative to those of the non-EEC countries<1>
|Change on previous
|quarter
---------------------------------------------------------
1987q1 |5.5
1987q2 |3.5
1987q3 |-0.7
1987q4 |5.6
1988q1 |1.6
1988q2 |0.0
1988q3 |-4.0
1988q4 |2.6
1989q1 |-3.5
1989q2 |-4.4
1989q3 |0.2
1989q4 |-0.6
1990q1 |2.2
1990q2 |2.2
1990q3 |5.9
1990q4 |1.2
1991q1 |-0.2
1991q2 |-7.0
1991q3 |0.9
1991q4 |3.2
1992q1 |0.0
1992q2 |1.5
1992q3 |2.1
1992q4 |-12.2
1993q1 |2.3
1993q2 |2.7
1993q3 |1.5
1993q4 |1.0
1994q1 |-2.9
1994q2 |0.4
1994q3 |n/a
1994q4 |n/a
<1> US, Japan, Canada, Sweden and Switzerland. 1. Unit
value indices in US$ for EEC(6) are weighted together
using total trade weights.
2. n/a-not available.
Parental Leave
Mrs. Roche: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what maternity and paternity entitlements are available to employees within his Department. [27279]
Mr. Ian Taylor: In addition to their statutory entitlements, permanent employees within DTI and its agencies with over year's service are entitled to enhanced levels of maternity leave up to a total of 52 weeks. They are also entitled to a period of 14 weeks' maternity leave at full pay, which includes statutory maternity pay, subject to returning to work for a month after maternity leave. Other entitlements for women include time off to attend ante natal appointments and the right to apply for a career break of up to five years to care for her child/children.
Fathers employed by DTI and its agencies are entitled to take two days paid paternity leave at the time of the birth or during the weeks following the birth of the child.
The Department's maternity and paternity entitlements and those of its agencies are based on the civil service management code.
Non-fossil Fuel Obligation
Mr. Simpson: To ask the President of the Board of Trade at what rate funding for renewables will continue under the non-fossil fuel obligation when the nuclear industry is privatised. [27132]
Mr. Eggar: Renewables will continue to be funded through the fossil fuel levy. The amount of this support will reflect the excess cost above the pool price to the
Column 269
regional electricity companies of renewables -sourced electricity generated within the non-fossil fuel obligation. This support is likely to build up over the next few years to a maximum of about £150 million annually.Nuclear Industry
Mr. Alan W. Williams: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) how much the proposed new privatised nuclear power company will be required to set aside annually to meet the eventual costs of decommissioning the pressurised water reactor and advanced gas cooled reactor power stations; [25288]
(2) how much the proposed privatised nuclear power company will be required to set aside for the longterm storage of the nuclear waste produced by its reactors. [25289]
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 22 May 1995]: The Government will ask all nuclear operators to draw up strategies for decommissioning their redundant plant. The Government have made it clear that the privatised nuclear generators will have to meet their obligations in respect of all their long-term nuclear liabilities, including those for decommissioning, in full and that they should make sufficient financial provision to do so. The Government believe that segregated funds are the best way of ensuring public confidence that the nuclear generators will meet their obligations and will consider carefully the detailed
Column 270
implications of this approach. The privatised generators will need to satisfy their auditors that sufficient cash is placed in these funds for each year. The precise level of the liabilities to be met will be a matter for the companies and their auditors in due course.SOCIAL SECURITY
Income Support
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many persons were in receipt of income support in the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale districts for each year since 1992. [26570]
Mr. Roger Evans: The administration of income support is a matter for Mr. Ian Magee, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Ian Magee to Mr. Gordon Prentice, dated 7 June 1995: The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply your recent Parliamentary Question about the number of persons in receipt of Income Support in the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale districts for each year since 1992.
I have provided, at Annex A, the quarterly figures and the annual average figures since 1992 in the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale District.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
Column 269
Income support recipients-Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale district
|Quarter ending 31|Quarter ending 31|Quarter ending 30|Quarter ending 28
|May |August |November |February |Annual average
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1992-93 |22,654 |23,760 |23,336 |25,162 |23,728
1993-94 |24,988 |25,540 |24,421 |24,744 |24,923
1994-95 |24,949 |25,633 |24,560 |25,153 |25,074
Data is provisional and subject to amendment.
Frozen Pensions
Mr. David Nicholson: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 17 May, Official Report, column 273, which country initiated negotiations for the agreements of 1975 and 1979 with (a) Spain and (b) Portugal; what reasons were given for the initial approach; and what estimates he has of the current number of Spanish and Portuguese retired citizens in the United Kingdom whose pensions are paid by their Governments. [26373]
Mr. Arbuthnot: At the request of Her Majesty's Government, a Spanish delegation met UK officials in February 1956 with a view to negotiating a social security agreement between the two countries to protect the benefit rights of migrant workers moving from one country to the other and to ensure that they pay into only one country's social security scheme. Negotiations ceased in 1960 and subsequently resumed again in 1971. The agreement with the Spanish Government was signed on 13 September 1974. On 1 December 1976 the Portuguese Government requested the negotiation of a social security agreement along the lines of that between the UK and Spain. The number of retired Spanish and Portuguese citizens in the UK whose pensions are paid by their Governments is not known.
Column 270
Parental Leave
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what maternity and paternity entitlements are available to employees within his Department. [27280]
Mr. Hague: Subject to the conditions set out in the civil service management code, permanent staff and staff on fixed-term appointments of two years or more are entitled to three calendar months and one week paid maternity leave if monthly paid, or 14 weeks if weekly paid. This will include entitlement to statutory maternity pay. Paid maternity leave may be followed by an optional period of unpaid leave which, together with the paid leave, cannot exceed 52 weeks in total.
Casual staff and staff on fixed term appointments of less than two years are entitled to 14 weeks' unpaid maternity leave plus an optional period of four weeks unpaid special leave.
Where an officer is not entitled to paid maternity leave she may nevertheless qualify for statutory maternity pay.
All staff are allowed paid time off for ante-natal care. Fathers are allowed two days' paid paternity leave at the time of the birth or at a later date if this is more helpful. This can be increased to a maximum of 10 days when there are medical complications or acute domestic difficulties in caring for other children in the household.
Column 271
PRIME MINISTER
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the occasions in the last 12 months when answers to hon. Members given at Prime Minister's Question Time were subsequently corrected or otherwise qualified. [26970]
The Prime Minister: I have answered in excess of 750 questions during Prime Minister's Question Time over the last 12 months. My records show that I have subsequently clarified three answers by means of written questions.
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Parental Leave
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what maternity and paternity entitlements are available to employees within his Department. [27284]
Mr. John M. Taylor: In addition to the statutory maternity leave and statutory maternity pay entitlements, women with one year's service at the start of their maternity leave who state their intention to return to work after their babies are born are entitled to 14 weeks' maternity leave on full pay and a period of unpaid maternity leave thereafter, up to a total maximum absence of 52 weeks. They return to work on no less favourable terms than these enjoyed prior to their maternity leave.
Women with 40 weeks' service by the expected date of birth, who qualify for statutory maternity leave--of 14 weeks--and statutory maternity pay, are given the option to extend their period of absence by four weeks, to enable them to benefit from the full entitlement to 18 weeks' statutory maternity pay. They, too, return to work on no less favourable terms than those held prior to their maternity leave.
Fathers are entitled to two days' paternity leave and there are provisions for staff to apply for additional paid and unpaid special leave for compassionate or domestic reasons. Staff with dependant care responsibilities may apply for a career break of 12 months, renewable on an annual basis to a total of five years if required, because of genuine family reasons or difficulties.
The above arrangements currently apply throughout the Lord Chancellor's Department, including the Court Service and the Public Trust Office.
Victims' Relatives
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how he communicates to the families of victims their right to be seated in the well of the court rather than in the public gallery. [27276]
Mr. John M. Taylor: The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.
Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 8 June 1995:
The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, has asked me to reply to your Question about the right of families of victims to be seated in the well of the court.
Column 272
I should first explain that the Prosecution is responsible for contacting victims of crime and their families. There is no "right" for anyone other than those actively taking part in the hearing to be seated in the well of the court. However, if the judge considers it appropriate, a relative of a victim may be allowed to sit in the well of the court. In addition, court staff may be able to make arrangements to seat the relatives of victims away from the other side in the case.ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Parental Leave
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Attorney General what maternity and paternity entitlements are available to employees within his Department. [27285]
The Attorney-General: Entitlements are available in accordance with the civil service management code. They provide for:
Reasonable paid time off for ante-natal care.
A maximum of 52 weeks paid and unpaid maternity leave for permanent staff with one year's service who state an intention to return to work. Of this, three months and one week will be paid leave.
Staff may also apply for an unpaid career break of up to 5 years.
Other staff, regardless of employment status, are entitled to 14 weeks' unpaid maternity leave and to return to work.
Staff are entitled to two days' paid paternity leave.
Excluding casual staff and those on fixed-term appointments of less than two years.
14 weeks if paid weekly.
Other than those on temporary appointments of less than two years in the Treasury Solicitor's Department.
SCOTLAND
Scottish Homes
Mr. McMaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for further measures to require Scottish Homes to be more accountable to its tenants; and if he will make a
statement. [24064]
| Next Section
| Home Page |