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Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, East (Mr. Brown) on 29 March 1995, Official Report , column 581 which stated that the information requested had been placed in the Libraries of the House. Since that date information has been received on the award of a catering service contract by the Dundee Teaching Hospitals NHS trust. The details of that contract are as follows:
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Service type |Contractor |Number of contracts|Start date |Previous cost |Tender value
|(£000) |(£000)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Catering |In-house |1 |1 August 1995 |1,337 |1,324
Hospital Beds
Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many dedicated private wards have opened in NHS hospital trusts in each of the past three years. [28098]
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Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: There are no dedicated private wards in any NHS trust hospital in Scotland. A number of trusts have beds which may be made available for use by private patients provided that they are not required for NHS patients.
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Health Service Pay Negotiations
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many officials of (a) Shetland health board and (b) Orkney health board have received formal training in conducting wage negotiations with representations of nursing staff; and if he will make a statement. [29020]
Mr. Lang: Two senior officials from Shetland health board and one from Orkney health board attended a seminar on local pay bargaining in May. These seminars were part of a programme offered to all health boards in Scotland.
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when his Department issued guidance to the Orkney and Shetland health boards in respect of the local negotiation with nursing staff and other professions allied to medicine concerning 1995 96 wages and salaries. [29019]
Mr. Lang: No such guidance has issued.
My Department is in regular contact with all health boards on a range of issues including local pay bargaining.
Civil Service Retirements
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 9 May, Official Report , column 396 , if he will provide comparable details on civil service early retirement packages on grounds of inefficiency. [29282]
Mr. Lang: Inefficiency is a ground for dismissal. An immediate lump sum payment of up to two years' salary may be made where a Department judges payment of compensation to be appropriate. Where compensation is agreed and the person dismissed is over age 55, this may be forgone in favour of immediate payment of the accrued superannuation benefits which would otherwise be preserved for payment at retiring age. There have been seven departures from the Scottish Office on inefficiency grounds in the past five financial years. Details are as follows:
1 in 1990 91
2 in 1991 92
2 in 1992 93
2 in 1993 94
0 in 1994 95
Of the seven, compensation was agreed for only one officer and paid as a lump sum compensation payment approximately equivalent to two years' salary.
Drug-related Deaths
Mr. Gallie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what arrangements have been made to improve the collection of information about drug-related deaths in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [29765]
Mr. Lang: The General Register Officer for Scotland, in consultation with forensic pathologists, the Crown Office and my Department, introduced new arrangements in 1994 for checking and classifying such deaths. The improved procedures are described in a publication issued today by the General Register Office for Scotland. The publication also gives information about drug-related deaths in 1994, collected under the new system, and, for
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comparative purposes, provides available data for 1992 and 1993. A copy has been placed in the Library.The new arrangements have significantly improved the collection and reliability of information on drug-related deaths in Scotland. The figures tragically illustrate the dangers of misusing drugs and underline the importance of the concerted action now being taken to tackle drug misuse on the basis of the report of the drugs task force, led by my noble and learned Friend the Minister of State. The improved data now available will help inform the development of policy and services within the framework of the task force report.
ENVIRONMENT
Territorial Waters
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he plans to take to protect (a) the North sea and (b) all United Kingdom waters, out to the 200-mile limit of territorial waters. [28116]
Mr. Atkins: Under international law, territorial waters, and their accompanying jurisdiction, only extend to a maximum of 12 nautical miles from the baseline--that is, the coast or in certain circumstances a line drawn between two headlands. More limited jurisdictions can be claimed in a region up to 200 nautical miles from those baselines. With the other North sea states, the Government set out their intention in the 1992 Paris declaration of extending jurisdiction in this way in respect of shipping. The Government therefore will make regulations under the Merchant Shipping (Salvage and Pollution) Act 1994 to extend our coastal state jurisdiction over pollution from shipping. In exercising these jurisdictions, the Government comply with the United Kingdom's obligations under the comprehensive system for the protection of the marine environment of the north-east Atlantic contained in the Oslo, Paris and OSPAR conventions and applies the policies agreed in the North sea conferences, both to the North sea and other UK waters.
Council Estates
Mr. Thurnham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further plans he has for greater private sector involvement in the management and ownership of council estates; and if he will make a statement. [28885]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: We wish more local authorities, especially in urban areas, to consider the benefits which they and their tenants can obtain from transferring the ownership of council housing to new landlords; and we wish a wider range of bodies to be involved in receiving such transfers. We hope to announce soon our proposals for bringing this about. We have put in place the legislative framework extending our compulsory competitive tendering to housing management. The first contracts are due to be in operation from April 1996. I am pleased to say that local authorities are making good progress with their preparations.
Nuclear Safety
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide a list of all reports
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carried out by his Department's pollution inspectorate, or its consultants, which include reference to Nirex's research and safety analyses. [28583]Mr. Atkins: I have asked the chief inspector to prepare a list of the reports and to make it available on request. A copy of the list will be placed in the House Library.
Atmospheric Pollution
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide the most recent figures on levels of ozone and nitrogen dioxide in Britain and each other country in the European Union. [28584]
Mr. Atkins: The most recent figures on levels of ozone and nitrogen dioxide are available as part of the Department of the Environment's air quality bulletin service. Information from the national automatic monitoring sites is used to provide air quality bulletins to the public, giving daily information on these and other air pollutants in both urban and rural areas across the United Kingdom via a freephone helpline, Ceefax, Teletext and a variety of other news media. The bulletin includes information on levels of pollutants together with a forecast and health advice on what to do should levels become high. The Ceefax and Teletext bulletin services have recently been upgraded and now provide hourly updates on nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulphur dioxide and benzene and 1, 3-- butadiene. In addition, information from the Department's non-automatic and automatic monitoring sites is published regularly. Information on levels of pollutants in other European countries is not held centrally.
Local Authority Area Committees
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the rules on political balance set out in his reply to the hon. Member for Thurrock (Mr. MacKinlay) on 21 July 1994, Official Report , column 464 , apply to area committees established exclusively to discharge the authority's functions or to advise the authority in respect of the area and where all voting members are from wards wholly or partly within the area and either the area does not exceed two fifths of the authority's whole area or the population of the area does not exceed two fifths of the authority's total population. [28881]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: The political balance rules would not apply in this case.
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities have established area committees exclusively to discharge the authority functions. [28823]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: We do not hold information about which authorities have chosen to organise themselves in this way.
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what restrictions there are on the functions which a local authority may devolve to area committees which it may set up to discharge council functions. [28818]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: The area committee will be subject to the general limitations imposed by Local
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Government Act 1972 on all authorities arranging for discharge of their functions, in particular by section 101 of that Act. The committee's authority will also be restricted in terms of area.Homelessness
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of States for the Environment what is the total number of families in temporary bed and breakfast accommodation paid for by public funds; and what is his Department's budget for this. [28809]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: At 31 March 1995, 4,480 households were accommodated in bed-and-breakfast hotels by English local authorities in connection with their duties under the homelessness legislation. Provision for local authority expenditure on such matters is included within the all other services standard spending assessment, and is not separately identified.
Local Authority Devolution
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he has given to allowing district and borough councils greater flexibility in devolving functions to parish and town councils. [28817]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: Section 101 of the Local Government Act 1972 already gives principal authorities considerable scope to delegate functions to any other local authority, including parish councils.
Sainsbury Superstore Application, Stoke Mandeville
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to receive his inspector's report on the application by J. Sainsbury plc to build a superstore at Lower road, Stoke Mandeville; and if he will make a statement. [28627]
Sir Paul Beresford: The inspector's report was received on 3 April. The Secretary of State refused planning permission for the proposals on 14 June.
Energy Saving Campaign
Mr. Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, what is the estimated amount of energy saved, to date, as a result of his Department's "Wasting Energy Costs the Earth" campaign. [28619]
Mr. Colvin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the estimated amount of energy saved, to date, as a result of his Department's "Wasting Energy Costs the Earth" campaign. [29161]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: The "Wasting Energy Costs the Earth" campaign, launched in October last year, aims to raise public awareness and encourages action to save energy in the home, as part of the United Kingdom's climate change programme. A full assessment of the campaign's effectiveness will be made when it is completed.
EU Funding, Merseyside
Mr. Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the names together with the previous and present jobs of the monitoring committee and technical committees appointed to assist with the
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objective 1 funding of Merseyside; and if he will make a statement. [28703]Sir Paul Beresford [holding answer 15 June 1995]: Following is a list of the members both of the monitoring committee and of the two technical panels for, respectively, industrial development and the people of Merseyside, together with present positions. Details of the members' previous positions are not readily available.
The membership reflects a wide-ranging partnership of public and private sector organisations on Merseyside.
MONITORING COMMITTEE
GO-M
John Stoker--Chair, Regional Director
Peter Houten, Director
Pat Jackson, Director (T and I), DOE (ERP Division)
Andre Bayer
Employment Department
Maureen De Viell
MAFF
Robert Bettley-Smith
Local Authorities
Councillor Harry Rimmer, Liverpool City Council
Councillor Mike Storey, Liverpool City Council
Councillor D. Knowles, Sefton BC
Councillor Ron Watson, Sefton BC
Councillor J. Keight, Knowsley BC
Councillor T. J. Lyons, Knowsley BC
Councillor Dave Jackson, Wirral BC
Councillor John Hale, Wirral BC
Councillor Dave Watts, St. Helens BC
Councillor Mike Doyle, St. Helens BC
MDC
Bob Lane, Assistant Chief Executive
Private Sector
David Railton, MDHC Accounts Manager
Terry Atherton, National Westminster Bank Plc, Regional Head of lending
John Sharpley, Champion Spark Plugs, Director, Europe
Ian Meadows, RS Clare, Managing Director
Albert Mandell, GPT Ltd, Manager Customer Communications TRAINING ENTERPRISE COUNCILS
Alan Moody, Chief Executive, CEWTEC
Linda Bloomfield, Chief Executive, Merseyside Tec
Peter Hulmes, Chief Executive, Qualitec
Voluntary Sector
Audrey Young, Liverpool 8 Law Centre, Management Committee Andy Churchill, Merseyside Coordinator, NW Network
Further Education
Tony Holloway, Assistant Director of Finance, Further Education Funding Council
George Sweeney, Principal, Knowsley Community College
English Partnerships
Jim Gill, Regional Director
MerseyTravel
Roy Swainson, Chief Executive
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Higher Education SectorProfessor Philip Love, Vice-Chancellor, The University of Liverpool
National Rivers Authority
Chris Newton, Regulation Environmental Quality Manager
TECHNICAL PANEL FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT
Pat Jackson: Chairman, Government Office for Merseyside, DTI Directorate
Peter Ramsden: European Commission. DGXV1
Alan Chape: Assistant Chief Executive, Liverpool City Council James Wilkie: Director of Planning and Economic Development, Wirral Borough Council
Bob Hepworth: Assistant Chief Executive, St. Helens Borough Council
Graham Smith: Director of Planning and Development, Knowsley Borough Council
Chris Williamson: Head of European Affairs, Sefton Borough Council
Peter Hey: Corporation Services Man. QUALITEC
Richard Merritt: Deputy Chief Executive, CEWTEC
Peter Fell: Director European Affairs, MERSEYTEC
Jim Gill: Regional Director, English Partnerships
Bob Lane: Assistant Chief Executive, External Affairs, Merseyside
Development Corp.
Paul Bunnell: Corporate Planning, Merseytravel
David Railton: Accounts Manager, Mersey Docks and Harbour Company
Dr. David Prior: Director, Research Support and Industrial Liaison,
Higher Education Institutions
Audrey Young: Liverpool 8 Law Centre, Man. Committee
Ian Lobley: Director, 3i Plc
Muriel Downs: Managing Director, Daryl Industries
Alan Ruddock: Managing Director, Giddings and Lewis
Pat Collins: EPR Division, DoE
TECHNICAL PANEL FOR THE PEOPLE OF MERSEYSIDE
Peter Houten: Chairman, Director TEED, GO-M
Dirk Meganck: European Commission, DGV
Maureen De Viell: ESF Unit, DoE
Nigel Tubman: ESF Unit, DoE
Colette Turner: Objective 1 Secretariat, GO-M
David Barrie: Head of Client Support, Education Department, Liverpool City Council
Paul Lally: Senior Education Officer, Sefton Borough Council David Rigby: Director, Education Department, Wirral Borough Council
Peter Wylie: Director, Education Department, Knowsley Borough Council
Brian Mainwaring Director, Education Department, St. Helens Council
Peter Fell: Director, European Affairs, MERSEYTEC
Richard Merritt: Deputy Chief Executive, CEWTEC
Cath Boullen: Training Services Manager, QUALITEC
Joe West: Principal, St. Helens College
Terry Jeves: Associate Development Director, Liverpool John Moores University
Any Churchill: Merseyside Coordinator, NW Network
Alex Murray: Operations Director, Contract Chemicals Knowsley Ltd.
Chris Benson: Managing Director, Benson Signs Ltd.
Bob Mottram: Chairman, Business Link Wirral
Graham Helling: European Operations Manager, Liverpool Chamber of Commerce
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