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DEFENCE
Defence Research Agency
Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the decision was taken to introduce a new accounting system into to the Defence Research Agency; who took the decision; which company was awarded the contract; and what is its value. [27548]
Mr. Freeman: Introducing a commercial accounting system was an integral part of setting up the Defence Research Agency as a next steps agency in April 1991, and is a particular Government requirement for creating a trading fund which the DRA became two years later. The original decision to commission work on the system was taken in 1989 by the Ministry of Defence and the investment appraisal for the system approved in 1990. A number of companies have assisted with the work with the principle systems implementation contract, worth £7 million between 1990 and 1994, being awarded to Coopers and Lybrand.
Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who is the current chief executive of the Defence Research Agency; when he was appointed; and who was his previous employer. [27549]
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Mr. Freeman: The Defence Research Agency was formally incorporated into the enlarged Defence Evaluation and Research Agency on 1 April 1995. John Chisholm, who was appointed chief executive of the DRA on 15 July 1991, was invited by the Secretary of State for Defence to be chief executive of DERA. Previously, Mr. Chisholm had been United Kingdom managing director of SEMA group plc.
Bosnia
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates in the last 12 months the rules of engagement for British troops serving in Bosnia have been changed. [27695]
Mr. Soames: The rules of engagement for British troops in Bosnia are reviewed as required, to ensure that personnel can take appropriate action in self-defence. For operational reasons, however, it would not be appropriate to go into detail.
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will specify (a) the total number of United Kingdom troops who will be deployed to Bosnia following recent discussions with European allies, (b) the command structure under which they will operate and (c) the numbers and type of military equipment being sent to Bosnia. [27697]
Mr. Soames: Some 1,000 additional British troops are currently deploying to Bosnia as part of a reinforcement package. The main elements are 19 Field Regiment, equipped with 105 mm light guns, 31 Armoured Engineer Squadron and elements of 21 Engineer Regiment, with road maintenance, mine clearance and bridge building equipment, and two Lynx helicopters equipped with tube-launched optically steered wire guided--TOW- -anti-tank missiles. In addition, 24 Airmobile Brigade, which is over 5,000 strong, has been offered to the UN as part of the rapid reaction force, and discussions are continuing about its deployment. Its equipment includes Lynx, Gazelle, Chinook and Puma helicopters, TOW and Milan anti-tank and Javelin surface-to-air missile systems, together with 8 mm mortars and 105 mm light guns. I do not propose to give details of equipment numbers for operational reasons. British reinforcements will be part of UN forces in Bosnia and will come under UN command.
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will specify the operational tasks and mission goals of the additional British troops being deployed to Bosnia. [27699]
Mr. Soames: The British reinforcements will enhance the effectiveness and the protection of the United Nations protection force and will operate under the existing humanitarian and peacekeeping mandate.
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what equipment his American counterpart has offered to the rapid reaction force in Bosnia. [27778]
Mr. Soames: The US has indicated that it is prepared to offer attack helicopters, radars, communications equipment and night vision devices, together with strategic air lift assets to help with the deployment of allies' heavy equipment.
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated cost of the proposed rapid reaction force deployment to Bosnia; and who is financially responsible for the deployment. [27696]
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Mr. Soames: The proposed rapid reaction force consists of three separate tranches, two of which have deployed. The precise duration of the deployment has yet to be decided, but on an annual basis the additional cost would be of the order of £271,000,000. In accordance with established interdepartmental arrangements, the costs of the first two tranches--about £26,000,000--will be met by the Foreign and Commonwealth Offices which will seek reimbursement from the UN. Discussions on who would have financial liability for the proposed third tranche are still continuing.
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will specify the international troop contributions to the rapid reaction force deployments in Bosnia. [27698]
Mr. Soames: The French have indicated that they will make 1,500 troops available and have placed another 4,000 on standby. Other offers include a Dutch mortar company and mortar locating group of some 170 personnel; a 70-strong Canadian support weapon unit; a Spanish mortar element of some 35 personnel; and a 20-strong New Zealand group which includes a mortar section, together with medical and logistic support personnel.
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if British troops are still operating under conditions of wider peacekeeping in Bosnia. [27700]
Mr. Soames: British troops in Bosnia continue to operate under UNPROFOR's humanitarian and peacekeeping mandate.
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to which military hospitals in Britain United Kingdom soldiers injured in Bosnia will be taken. [27779]
Mr. Soames: On arrival in the UK, service casualties from Bosnia will normally be taken initially to the Princess Alexandra RAF hospital, Wroughton, before onward transfer to an appropriate service hospital or specialist NHS unit. However, where the patients' medical conditions dictate, casualties may be taken direct to an NHS specialist unit. The nature of the injury and the location of the family will determine to which other hospital a casualty is transferred for further treatment.
TREASURY
Maternity and Paternity Leave
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what maternity and paternity entitlements are available to employees within his Department. [27277]
Mr. Nelson [holding answer 8 June 1995]: Women, both full and part time, who have been in paid service with the Treasury for at least one year and who are not employed on a casual, standby or short notice appointment, nor employed on a fixed-term appointment of less than two years, are entitled to three months and one week paid maternity leave, including statutory maternity pay, on the proviso that they plan to resume duty. An additional period of up to 39 weeks' unpaid leave is also available, giving a combined total of up to 52 weeks paid and unpaid maternity leave. Staff who qualify for maternity leave as described have a right of return to work.
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Although not an entitlement, staff may also be eligible to take a career break of up to five years in addition to maternity leave. Reasonable time off is allowed for antenatal care, which is paid at the normal rate of pay.Fathers are entitled to two days' paid paternity leave, which can be made available either at the time of the birth or in the weeks following the birth if this is more convenient to the family.
Extra-statutory Payments
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 6 June, Official Report , column 91, what form of notification is made and authorisation sought from his Department by spending Departments before extra-statutory payments are made. [27820]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: Arrangements for the authorisation of extra- statutory payments and for notification vary between Departments and agencies. In common with other forms of special payment, the Treasury may agree specific delegation levels with Departments for extra-statutory payments. The rules on the notation of special payments in appropriation accounts are set out in paragraph 12.6.18 of "Government Accounting".
Economic Statistics
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what has been the average annual rate of export growth in real terms for each of the EC and Group of Seven countries over the period 1979 to 1993; [25199]
(2) what was the average ratio over the period 1979 to 1993 in current prices of investment to gross domestic product for each EC and G7 country; [25201]
(3) what was the average ratio over the period 1979 to 1993 in current prices of imports to gross domestic product for each EC and G7 country; [25200]
(4) what has been the average annual rate of growth in real terms of gross domestic product for each of the EC and G7 countries over the period 1979 to 1993. [25202]
Mr. Nelson: G7 and EC growth, investment, export and import data can be found in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development publication "National Accounts 1960 1993", volume 1. The average annual GDP growth, export growth, investment to GDP ratio and imports to GDP ratio for the G7 and EC countries from 1979 to 1993 are given in the tables. The selective period chosen by the hon. Gentleman extends between different points in economic cycles, particularly in the case of the UK, and therefore renders comparisons less meaningful.
|Annual average
|export volume |Average annual
|growth |GDP growth
|1979-1993 |1979-1993
|(Percentage) |(Percentage)
------------------------------------------------------------
G7
US |5.4 |2.3
Canada |5.4 |2.2
Japan |5.9 |3.6
France |3.7 |1.8
Italy |3.6 |2.0
UK |2.9 |1.7
W. Germany |5.0 |2.0
Rest of EC
Austria |2.1 |4.5
Belgium |1.8 |4.0
Denmark |1.7 |4.5
Finland |1.6 |3.5
Greece |1.4 |5.5
Ireland |3.7 |8.5
Luxembourg |3.0 |3.7
Netherlands |1.8 |3.9
Portugal |2.6 |5.9
Spain |2.4 |5.9
Sweden |1.2 |3.4
|Investment to GDP|Imports to GDP
|average ratio |average ratio
|1979-1993 |1979-93
------------------------------------------------------------------------
G7
US |18.3 |10.8
Canada |21.1 |25.9
Japan |29.9 |10.4
France |20.7 |22.1
Italy |20.8 |21.4
UK |17.4 |26.3
W. Germany |20.9 |26.3
Rest of EC
Austria |24.0 |37.7
Belgium |18.0 |69.2
Denmark |17.6 |32.2
Finland |18.0 |27.7
Greece |19.9 |30.8
Ireland |20.4 |55.1
Luxembourg |22.2 |90.4
Netherlands |20.3 |49.9
Portugal |28.4 |37.1
Spain |21.5 |19.7
Sweden |19.0 |30.6
Works of Art
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many owners hold works of art granted exemption from inheritance tax where viewing of the object is by appointment only. [26724]
Sir George Young: Seven hundred and four owners of chattels which have been granted conditional exemption from inheritance tax or capital transfer tax have undertaken to satisfy the public access requirement by entry on the register of conditionally exempt works of art. These owners are required to make the chattels available for viewing by members of the public, by appointment. Works of art and other objects on the register may also, unless this cannot be done without physical risk to the object, be borrowed by curators or directors of public collections.
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HOME DEPARTMENT
Fire Brigades
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has had from (a) the Fire Brigades Union, (b) local authorities and (c) others in relation to the proposed reduction in the number of fire brigades in Wales. [27892]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: The decision to create three brigades in Wales in place of the existing eight was announced in the White Paper "Local Government in Wales: A Charter for the Future" in March 1993. The areas to be included in each brigade were announced in December 1993. Since then my right hon. and learned Friend has received a number of representation from local authority interests and others about the brigade structure in Wales. The Fire Brigades Union has made representations through its membership of the local government review sub-committee of the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council.
Mentally Ill Prisoners
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new proposals he has to improve the care of the mentally ill in prison (a) before sentence and (b) after sentence. [27588]
Mr. Michael Forsyth: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from A. J. Butler to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated9 June 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about what new proposals we have to improve the care of the mentally ill in prison (a) before sentence and (b) after sentence.
The Prison Service will continue to seek to transfer to psychiatric hospitals those mentally disordered prisoners who meet the criteria laid down in the Mental Health Act 1983. Performance in this respect has greatly improved in recent years but some needs are still not being met.
The Department of Health will spend over £47 million between 1991 and 1995 to increase the number of medium secure beds from the 1993 figure of 653 to nearly 1200 by 1996. In addition, health authorities are developing further secure psychiatric places. The Department of Health and the Prison Service have commissioned a study of the transfer process to identify actions that could make this operate more smoothly. A sub committee of the independent Health Advisory Committee to the Prison Service is also looking into the problems which may occur during the assessment and transfer process. It will then examine the arrangements for mentally disordered prisoners' aftercare. We shall consider very carefully any recommendations arising from these studies.
The Prison Service is also improving the quality of care and treatment for those mentally disordered offenders who remain in prison custody. The largest group of mentally disordered prisoners, who may not meet the Mental Health Act criteria for transfer to hospital, are those suffering from personality disorder. The principal recommendation of a Task Force, set up to determine the strategy for treating such prisoners, was that a second therapeutic prison, along the lines of Grendon, should be established. We are now giving high priority to the implementation of that recommendation. We are also pursuing a range of other initiatives to improve the quality of treatment offered to prisoners suffering from mental disorders. For example, we plan to extend the "contracting in" of psychiatric services beyond the Durham and Bristol clusters of establishments to others. We shall develop and publish a new Healthcare Standard for the provision of forensic psychiatric
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services and for throughcare in mental health. We will also be auditing the implementation of Healthcare Standard 2 (Mental Health Services in local prisons and remand centres) at each establishment.Prisoners' (Incentives and Privileges)
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the proposed national framework for incentives and earned privileges for prisoners. [28437]
Mr. Howard: A national framework for incentives and earned privileges for prisoners will be introduced across the prison system in England and Wales during 1995. It will ensure that prisoners earn privileges by responsible behaviour and participation in hard work and other constructive activity. More than 30 prisons will be implementing approved incentives and earned privileges schemes from July 1995. Amendments to prison and young offender institution rules will need to be in force from July and will be laid before Parliament later this month.
The national framework will include the following elements: (a) a clear set of national aims for incentives and earned privileges;
(b) a list of key earnable privileges and instructions on their use, where they are provided at all;
(c) instructions on the arrangements for the earning and losing of rewards. These will cover defining and measuring behaviour, decision making, appeals and administrative powers to remove privileges where prisoners do not meet the specified criteria for earning them. Governors will continue to have the disciplinary powers of forfeiture of privileges, recently increased from 28 to 42 days for specific offences; and
(d) a system of effective monitoring and auditing.
There will be four key earnable privileges which, where provided at all, prisoners will have to earn within national instructions. These benefits, which will form the basis of three broad privilege levels to which prisoners will be allocated, are:
(a) access to private cash above set minima;
(b) extra or improved visits;
(c) eligibility to participate in enhanced earning schemes; and (d) earned community visits--previously town visits--but only for category D prisoners and female prisoners and young offenders suitable for outside activities.
There will also be two key earnable privileges which will normally operate when all prisoners in a particular part of a prison have the same level of privilege. They are:
(e) own clothes. But women and the unconvicted will continue to have the option of wearing their own clothes; and
(f) time out of cell for association.
Changes in policy on private cash will be introduced in parallel to, and as part of, the phased introduction of the earned privileges policy. Prisoners will be able to spend their earnings but will be limited in the amounts they can spend from private cash according to their performance under incentives and earned privileges schemes. Convicted prisoners will have their access to private cash capped at the rate of £2.50, £10 or £15 per week for the basic, standard and enhanced privilege levels respectively. Unconvicted prisoners will be able to spend more--£15 on basic and £30 on standard and enhanced levels--reflecting their unconvicted status. Exceptions will be made to meet a range of special circumstances
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such as those arising from legal proceedings; spending on telephone cards for foreign nationals; and clothing in establishments where prisoners wear their own and to meet the needs of mothers and babies. But, overall, the new arrangements will reduce prisoners' general purchasing power where this has been excessive in the past.TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Chernobyl
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the President of the Board of Trade which United Kingdom companies are involved in the consortium to be funded by a European Union loan to close the Chernobyl nuclear plant and provide a replacement gas-fired power plant. [27895]
Mr. Eggar: No European Union loan has been offered to Ukraine for the construction of a gas-fired power plant to replace Chernobyl. I understand that a consortium led by Asea Brown Boveri, the international electrical engineering company, has made a proposal to the Ukrainian Government to build such a plant. I am not aware that any UK companies are involved in this consortium.
Disqualified Directors
Mr. Byers: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the number of directors disqualified as a result of action taken by the Newcastle upon Tyne official receiver office in each of the last five years. [27542]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: The numbers of directors disqualified under section 6 of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 as a result of action taken by the official receiver, Newcastle upon Tyne office in each of the last five years were as follows:
|Number of
|Number of |Number of |years
Financial year |cases |respondents |(total)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1990-91 |7 |10 |75
1991-92 |8 |12 |73
1992-93 |10 |15 |77
1993-94 |8 |13 |64
1994-95 |15 |23 |120
Insolvency Service
Mr. Byers: To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to take a decision on the size and location of the Insolvency Service as a result of the contracting-out process; what is the proposed contracting-out timetable for the functions of the official receiver; and when he expects to publish the draft contract specifications. [27544]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: The final decision as to whether contracting out will proceed will be taken following receipt of formal bids in mid- November. Any contracts will be awarded by the end of December and will be fully operational by 1 April 1996. Decisions in relation to the size and location of the Insolvency Service will be made in the light of conclusions on contracting out.
The draft contract specification will be made available to selected potential bidders on 15 June 1995.
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Mr. Byers: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish the views of the official receiver on the draft specifications for the privatisation of the Insolvency
Service. [27546]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: There are no plans to publish the views of the official receivers on the draft specification. Their views have been sought and taken into account by the consultants, Shreeveport Management Consulting, in preparing the specification which will be issued to selected potential bidders.
Official Receiver's Office, Newcastle
Mr. Byers: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many (a) permanent and (b) casual staff have been employed at the Newcastle upon Tyne office of the official receiver in each of the last five years. [27543]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: Staff numbers have varied during the course of the years, but the maximum numbers of staff employed at the official receiver, Newcastle upon Tyne office in each of the last five years were as follows:
Financial year |Permanent |Casual ------------------------------------------------------------ 1990-91 |35 |1 1991-92 |32 |2 1992-93 |33 |6 1993-94 |33 |15 1994-95 |34 |11
Mr. Byers: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to (a) close or (b) relocate the official receiver's office in Newcastle upon Tyne. [27545]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: Any plans in relation to the official receiver's office in Newcastle upon Tyne will be made in the light of decisions on contracting out.
Mr. Byers: To ask the president of the Board of Trade how many (a) bankruptcy orders (b) winding up orders have been dealt with by the Newcastle upon Tyne official receiver's office in each of the last five years. [27547]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: The total numbers of bankruptcy orders and winding up orders dealt with by the official receiver, Newcastle upon Tyne office in each of the last five years were as follows:
Financial year |Bankruptcy |Winding up ------------------------------------------------------------ 1990-91 |309 |126 1991-92 |441 |157 1992-93 |572 |153 1993-94 |528 |131 1994-95 |395 |104
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Gibraltar
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the minutes of the meeting which recently took place between him and the Chief Minister of Gibraltar are to be published. [26913]
Mr. David Davis: There are no plans to publish any minutes of the meeting.
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PRIME MINISTER
Ministerial Salaries
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Prime Minister what is his current annual salary; and what is the salary of the Lord Chancellor. [27667]
The Prime Minister: In relation to my ministerial salary, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the Ministerial and Other Salaries Order 1994, SI 1994/3206, a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library. In addition, I have a reduced parliamentary salary entitlement of £24,985. The Lord Chancellor's salary entitlement is currently £126,138.
Inland Revenue Training Centre
Mr. Tipping: To ask the Prime Minister what was the purpose of his visit to the Inland Revenue training centre, Lincoln on 1 June; what facilities he used; and if he will make a statement. [27587]
The Prime Minister: I have never visited the Inland Revenue training centre at Lincoln.
Wild Mammals (Protection) Bill
Mr. McFall: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 25 May, Official Report , column 681 , to the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Mr. Chidgey), how many (a) letters and (b) cards he has received regarding parliamentary time for the Wild Mammals (Protection) Bill. [27759]
The Prime Minister: I have nothing further to add to my reply to the hon. Member for Eastleigh, on 25 May, Official Report , column 681 .
Honours
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister (1) in each year year since 1990, how many people who were approached said that they would not accept a knighthood or the title Dame if one were offered; [27692]
(2) in each since 1990, how many people who were approached said that they would not accept a peerage if one were offered. [27693]
The Prime Minister: It is not the practice to reveal this information.
Responses to Policy Changes
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Prime Minister if, as part of his policy of open government, he will require all Ministers, when requesting observations on proposed changes of policy indicated in consultation or similar papers, to ask those responding whether or not they agree to their responses being made public. [27877]
The Prime Minister: It is normal practice for consultation documents to include a statement that responses received may be made public unless respondents request that their comments be treated as confidential.
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NORTHERN IRELAND
Grafton Recruitment
Mr. Trimble: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 23 May, Official Report , column 534 , if he will give details of the two licences issued to Grafton Recruitment. [26578]
Mr. Moss: Under the provisions of the Nursing Homes and Nursing Agencies Act (Northern Ireland) 1971, anyone carrying on a nursing agency on any premises must hold a licence issued by the Department. Two such licences have been issued to Grafton Recruitment. These authorise Dr. Mary Paula Jane King Kilbane andMr. Kenneth John Thomas Belshaw to carry on a nursing agency at premises in Belfast and Londonderry. The licences are valid up to and including 31 December 1995 and are renewable.
In issuing or renewing licences, the Department has to be satisfied that the conditions laid down in the Act and the Nursing Agencies Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1986 are being complied with. Staff of the Northern Ireland health and personal social services are required to make a declaration of interests either on starting employment or on acquisition of the interest(s), whichever is appropriate. Dr. Kilbane's interest in Grafton Recruitment had been fully disclosed to her employer, the Eastern health and social services board, before she took up her appointment as chief executive on 1 April 1995.
Information on the use made of nursing agencies is not held centrally. However, in order to clarify Grafton Recruitment's involvement with the health and personal social services, employers have now been asked to supply details of any contracts placed with that organisation. I shall convey the results of this to the hon. Gentleman as soon as possible.
Healthy Eating
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list his Department's projects aimed at promoting healthy eating, indicating the cost of each project to his Department. [26301]
Mr. Moss: Projects aimed at promoting healthy eating are carried out by a variety of health and other organisations in Northern Ireland and details of all such projects are not held centrally. Regional projects undertaken by the Northern Ireland Health Promotion Agency and associated costs in 1994 95 are as follows:
|£
----------------------------------------------
Food and Nutrition Strategy |7,177
Handbook on Nutrition |747
Healthy Eating Circle |54,317
Healthy Eating Campaign |56,390
Nutrition Education |14,837
National Food Selection Guide |359
School Nutrition Action Group |2,854
No Sweets at Checkouts |155
General Information |877
General Research |2,862
Total |140,575
Local Government Employees
Mr. Trimble: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list all the public service offices other than local government offices and the number of persons employed in such offices in
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Fermanagh district council in (a) January 1992, (b) January 1993, (c) January 1994 and (d) January 1995.
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