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Column 95
Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 4 July 1995
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Travel Claims
Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will detail the amount of travel claims at constant prices in his Department in (a) 1993 94 and (b) 1994 95 broken down by (i) public transport, (ii) car mileage allowance and (iii) bicycle allowance. [32215]
Mr. Horam: This information is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Planning Inspectorate
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Plymouth, Sutton (Mr. Streeter) on 26 June, Official Report , column 462 , if he will make a national breakdown as between the Department of the Environment and the Welsh Office of the staff employed in the planning inspectorate, effective on 1 April (a) 1994 and (b) 1995. [32444]
Mr. Horam: The planning inspectorate is an executive agency jointly funded by the Department of the Environment and the Welsh Office. The national breakdown of full-time equivalent staff employed by the planning inspectorate was:
|1 April 1994|1 April 1995
----------------------------------------------------
England |580 |563
Wales |25 |21
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Travel Claims
Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will detail the amount of travel claims at constant prices in his Department in (a) 1993 94 and (b) 1994 95 broken down by (i) public transport, (ii) car mileage allowance and (iii) bicycle allowance. [32170]
Mr. John M. Taylor: The Lord Chancellor's Department spent £7,162, 000 in 1993 94 and £6,991,000 in 1994 95 on travel and subsistence, both figures at 1993 94 prices. The cost of travel claims alone and the type of transport used could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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Magistrates
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what are the numbers of magistrates appointed from each ward in Newport, Gwent, in each of the past five years; and what are their perceived political loyalties. [32102]
Mr. John M. Taylor: The number of magistrates appointed from each ward in Newport in each of the last five years and their stated political affiliation is as follows:
Year |Ward |Number |Politics
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1990 |Caerleon |1 |Labour
|Rogerstone |1 |Labour
|The Graig |1 |Conservative
|Outside borough |1 |Labour
1991 |Alt-yr-yn |1 |Labour
1992 |Alt-yr-yn |1 |Labour
|The Graig |1 |Liberal Democrat
1993 |Alt-yr-yn |2 |Labour
|Llanwern |1 |Labour
|Outside borough |1 |Labour
1994 |Caerleon |1 |Labour
|1 |Conservative
|Langstone |1 |Labour
|Ringland |1 |Labour
|Rogerstone |2 |Labour
|The Graig |1 |Liberal Democrat
|Outside borough |1 |Uncomitted
Small Claims Court
Mr. Matthew Banks: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if there will be a full period of public consultation before the small claims court limit is increased; and if he will make a statement. [32526]
Mr. John M. Taylor: Lord Woolf consulted widely in the preparation of his interim report. In view of this, the Lord Chancellor does not intend to undertake further public consultation on the question whether he should implement Lord Woolf's recommendation that the limit for small claims, other than those for personal injury, should be raised to £3,000. The power to make the necessary amendments rests with the county court rule committee which, as part of its consideration of the matter, consults interested parties.
Libel Law (Printers)
Mr. Garrett: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will review the libel law to provide printers with the defence of innocent dissemination. [32390]
Mr. John M. Taylor: The Government have already decided that the defence of innocent dissemination should be available to printers, and will introduce legislation as soon as there is a suitable opportunity.
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PRIME MINISTER
Engagements
Sir Peter Tapsell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 4 July. [30992]
Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 4 July 1995. [30993]
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.
European Monetary Union
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Prime Minister what is his policy towards the adoption of a single currency outside the rules of the European Union by countries wishing to do so. [32369]
The Prime Minister: The EC treaty now provides the institutional framework for the adoption of a single currency. It would not be legally permissible for any member states to adopt a single currency otherwise than in accordance with this framework if that prevented or fettered the discharge by the Community institutions of their functions in accordance with the treaty.
The United Kingdom's protocol, annexed to the EC treaty, means that the United Kingdom shall not be committed to move to the third stage of economic and monetary union without a separate decision to do so by its Government and Parliament.
Chemical Weapons Convention
Mr. Gapes: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his statement on the EU Cannes summit of 28 June, (1) when he plans to bring forward legislation to ratify the chemical weapons convention. [32155] (2) on what grounds he signed a statement calling for the chemical weapons convention to enter into force without delay. [32156]
The Prime Minister: The Government remain fully committed to the chemical weapons conventions. Primary legislation is required to implement the convention in the UK and to enable UK ratification. Work is going ahead on the preparation of the necessary legislation. It is the intention of my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade in the coming weeks to publish a bill in draft for consultation with a view to introducing it as soon as parliamentary time permits.
No. 10 Downing Street
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Prime Minister, if he will state the rules governing the making of announcements relating to party business in, or using the facilities of No. 10 Downing Street. [31987]
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The Prime Minister [holding answer 30 June 1995]: Ministers under this and previous Administrations have been allowed--at their own or party expense--to make use of No. 10 Downing street for party business, except for certain purposes during general elections.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Travel Claims
Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will detail the amount of travel claims at constant prices in his Department in (a) 1993 94 and (b) 1994 95 broken down by (i) public transport, (ii) car mileage allowance and (iii) bicycle allowance. [32168]
Mr. Howard: The Department's computerised travel claims payment systems do not record information according to the categories requested. The cost of deriving this information from manual records would be disproportionate.
Former Foreign Heads of State
Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list all former heads of state of foreign countries who currently have permission to reside in the United Kingdom; and what privileges and status are accorded to each; [32518] (2) how many former heads of state of foreign countries or members of their family are currently awaiting decisions on their domiciliary status in the United Kingdom. [32521]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: This information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. In any event, it is not our normal practice to disclose information about the immigration status of individuals.
Mr. Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current status of ex-King Constantine of Greece in the United Kingdom; and what privileges and precedence are accorded to him and his family. [32519]
Mr. Baker: It is not our normal practice to disclose information about an individual's immigration status.
Prisoners
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women aged from 18 to 21 years were serving a prison sentence of 10 years or more on 19 June. [31704]
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 Brian Landers to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 4 July 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking how many (a) men and (b) women aged from 18 to 21 years were serving a prison sentence of 10 years or more on 19 June.
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The latest available information is for 31 May when there were 130 men and 7 women aged from 18 to 21 years in Prison Service custody, who were serving sentences of 10 years or more.Information on the prison population is published in successive volumes of "Prison Statistics England and Wales". The latest edition, containing figures for 1993, is available in the Library.
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women were classified as category A prisoners in prisons in England and Wales on 19 June. [31277]
Mr. 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 Brian Landers to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 4 July 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the number of women classified as category A prisoners in prisons in England and Wales.
On 19 June there were seven female category A prisoners held in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales.
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of places in special secure units in prisons in England and Wales and the number of inmates being held in such units as of 19 June. [31278]
Mr. 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 Brian Landers to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 4 July 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the number of places in Special Secure Units in prisons in England and Wales and the number of prisoners in such units.
There are currently twenty three places in Special Secure Units in prisons in England and Wales. Fourteen of them are at Whitemoor prison, where the Special Secure Unit was re-opened on 14 June 1995 and nine at Full Sutton prison. On 19 June there were six prisoners held in these units.
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 18 April, Official Report , column 92 , if he will give a breakdown of the ethnic backgrounds of prisoners transferred to hospitals under sections 47 and 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983 in each of the last 10 years. [31218]
Mr. Forsyth [holding answer 27 June 1995]: 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 Brian Landers to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 4 July 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking for a breakdown of the ethnic backgrounds of prisoners transferred to hospitals under sections 47 and 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983 in each of the last ten years.
Ethnic information is only available for final discharge from prison to hospital since 1993. This covers all reasons for transfer; including those transferred under sections 47 and 48 of the Mental Health Act for whom a separate ethnic breakdown is not available. It is shown in the attached table separately for males and females for the years 1993 and 1994.
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Final discharges from prison to hospital
1993 1994
|Male |Female|Male |Female
-----------------------------------------------------------------
White |607 |44 |550 |58
Black total |214 |8 |236 |23
African |50 |2 |41 |6
Caribbean |143 |3 |142 |12
Other |21 |3 |53 |5
South Asian total |24 |1 |20 |1
Bangladeshi |2 |0 |2 |0
Indian |14 |1 |7 |1
Pakistani |8 |0 |11 |0
Total Chinese and other Asian |9 |1 |17 |1
Chinese |0 |0 |1 |0
Other Asian |9 |1 |16 |1
Not recorded/unknown/other |20 |3 |17 |0
Total |874 |57 |840 |83
Film Censorship
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received on the certification by the British Board of Film Classification of the recent video showing deaths by execution; and if he will make a statement. [31725]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: My right hon. and learned Friend has received two letters from members of the public concerned that the video "Executions" has received a certificate from the British Board of Film Classification.
The Government are aware of the public concern about this film. However, the British Board of Film Classification is an independent body and the Government have no powers to influence its classification decisions. Before awarding a classification certificate, the BBFC is required to take into account any harm which a video work might cause through the manner in which the work deals with, among other things, violent or horrific behaviour or incidents. I understand that this particular work was viewed by the full board of the BBFC, who concluded that it was appropriate to grant it an "18" certificate.
Voluntary Organisations
Miss Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many voluntary sector organisations his Department has (a) paid grants to or (b) entered into contracts with in (i) 1993 94 and (ii) 1994 95; and what was the total value of these grants and contracts. [31308]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: In 1993 94 the Home Office paid grants to approximately 900 voluntary organisations and entered into contracts with seven. In 1994 95, grants were paid to approximately 200 organisations and contracts entered into with six. The fall in the number of organisations receiving grants directly from the Home Office reflects changes in the methods for paying certain grants between 1993 94 and 1994 95.
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The Home Office paid £64.4 million to the voluntary sector in 1993 94 and £68.8 million in 1994 95. These figures include Home Office money given out as grants by the Commission for Racial Equality and, in 1994 95, by local probation services.NATIONAL HERITAGE
Hotels
Mr. Pendry: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) what is his estimate of the number of properties regularly operating as hotels in England with fewer than six bed spaces; [32028]
(2) how many hotels in England have more than six bed spaces. [32029]
Mr. Dorrell: There are no figures on the number of bed spaces in hotels and similar establishments. However, the database of all serviced accommodation stock known to the English tourist board shows a total of 15,000 establishments with six bedrooms or less, and a further 14,250 with more than six bedrooms.
Radios
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what representations he has received from the Association of Independent Radio Contractors about the concentrations of radio ownership in major urban areas. [31945]
Mr. Dorrell: I met representatives of the AIRC on 28 June and discussed a number of issues. The issue of ownership in urban areas was specifically raised by AIRC at a meeting with Lord Astor on 16 March.
Television
Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the Government's policy on the revised television without frontiers directive. [31954]
Mr. Dorrell: The Commission's proposal for a new directive to amend the television without frontiers dDirective (89/552/EEC) was communicated to the Council on 14 June and is under consideration in a Council working group of officials. My Department will shortly be seeking the views of the UK industry on the proposals; and on explanatory memorandum will be provided in the usual way. I have made it clear on a number of occasions that, while the Government welcome many of the changes to the 1989 directive proposed by the Commission, we are strongly opposed to the proposed changes to the quota regime on programme content. And so are most of our partners.
Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what has been the change in the level of ITV's spending on programming over the last five years in real terms. [31918]
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Mr. Dorrell: For ITV networked programmes the ITV network centre spending budgets for each of the years 1993 95, expressed in real terms at 1995 prices, deflated by HM Treasury GDP market prices deflator of 27 June 1995, were:
1993: £539.8 million
1994: £544.2 million
1995: £552 million (provisional)
Comparable figures for 1991 and 1992 are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.
HEALTH
District Auditor Reports
Mr. Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) in how many cases the district auditor has prepared a section 20(3) report in respect of the health service; and in each case what is the name of the body concerned, the reason a report was prepared and the date on which she received it; [28240]
(2) pursuant to her answer of 24 May Official Report, column 591, if she will place in the Library the section 20(3) report on the City and East London family health services authority which she received from the district auditor on 2 February. [28241]
Mr. Malone: Reports issued under section 20(3) of the 1990 Act are not definitive analyses and are not intended for publication. Examination of such reports is required to establish the legal position in each case and any necessary disclosure is achieved by notation of the appropriate statutory accounts.
Pay Review Bodies
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what criteria are used for selecting new members of the pay review body; [30429]
(2) what are the criteria for selection of the chair of the pay review body; and what plans she has to change them. [30430]
Mr. Malone: Both chairman and members of the two review bodies covering national health service staff are appointed by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on the advice of Ministers.
In making the appointments, Ministers look for relevant background experience, for the ability to analyse the issues coming before the review body, and for the capacity to form independent judgments on those issues.
The procedures may need to be reviewed in the light of the Government's decisions on the Nolan committee's recommendations.
Counselling
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department has carried out into counselling versus antidepressants in primary care; with what findings; and if she will make a statement. [31505]
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Mr. Malone: There is no research currently being undertaken by the Department's policy research programme--formerly the centrally commissioned programme.
The national health service research and development programme includes two current projects in its health technology assessment programme, which has identified counselling in primary care as a priority area. One compares the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy, and usual treatment by the general practitioner for patients with depression and mixed anxiety and depression. The second is to establish the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of counselling in primary care for patients with chronic depression and anxiety.
Pregnancies
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the number of (a) pregnancies among teenage girls, (b) births to unmarried mothers and (c) abortions performed in (i) York, (ii) North Yorkshire, (iii) Yorkshire and Humberside and (iv) England in each year since 1979. [31602]
Mr. Sackville: The number of conceptions to women aged under 20 and the total number of live births outside marriage are shown in the table. The data are given for each year from 1979 to the most recent year for which information is available--1991 for conceptions and 1993 for births. Conception statistics by county and county district are not readily available before 1989, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The number of abortions by regional health authority of termination are published in the OPCS Series AB 6 19 and in the OPCS Monitor AB95/1 for 1993; copies of which are available in the Library. For reasons of confidentiality, abortion data by area of termination are published only down to RHA level.
Area of residence
at time of birth or
abortion
|Yorkshire
|and |North |York county
Year |England |Humberside |Yorkshire |district
------------------------------------------------------------------------
a) Conceptions to women under 20<1>
1979 |113,574 |12,991 |n/a |n/a
1980 |110,326 |12,541 |n/a |n/a
1981 |108,202 |12,073 |n/a |n/a
1982 |106,865 |12,229 |n/a |n/a
1983 |105,374 |11,959 |n/a |n/a
1984 |110,966 |12,646 |n/a |n/a
1985 |111,991 |13,143 |n/a |n/a
1986 |111,446 |13,364 |n/a |n/a
1987 |115,671 |13,679 |n/a |n/a
1988 |113,345 |13,488 |n/a |n/a
1989 |110,409 |13,370 |1,173 |241
1990 |108,037 |13,022 |1,193 |240
1991 |96,843 |11,907 |1,072 |201
b) All live births outside marriage
1979 |66,056 |7,087 |575 |163
1980 |73,413 |8,067 |635 |195
1981 |76,916 |8,434 |640 |183
1982 |85,188 |9,396 |747 |209
1983 |94,022 |10,491 |840 |240
1984 |104,404 |11,694 |939 |255
1985 |119,235 |13,350 |1,103 |302
1986 |133,477 |15,141 |1,180 |324
1987 |149,556 |16,691 |1,353 |384
1988 |167,179 |18,593 |1,575 |421
1989 |175,027 |19,357 |1,682 |453
1990 |188,548 |21,098 |1,816 |507
1991 |198,938 |22,014 |1,880 |485
1992 |202,425 |22,587 |1,990 |482
1993 |203,581 |22,238 |1,992 |475
<1>Includes pregnancies which resulted in either a maternity at which
one or more live or stillbirths occurred or a termination of pregnancy
by abortion under the 1967 Act. Pregnancies which led to spontaneous
abortion are not included.
Voluntary Organisations
Miss Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many voluntary sector organisations her Department has (a) paid grants to or (b) entered into contracts with in (i) 1993 94 and (ii) 1994 95; and what was the total value of these grants and
contracts. [31309]
Mr. Bowis: The Department makes a large number of grants to voluntary organisations, the main channel being the section 64 general scheme. For details of grants given in 1993 94 and 1994 95 I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Clwyd, South-West (Mr. Jones) on 20 June at column 205 . The Department does not normally enter into contractual arrangements for services with voluntary organisations.
Temazepam
Mr. McMaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what further plans she has to reschedule temazepam; and if she will make a statement; [31382]
(2) what are the criteria which she applies to reschedule drug substances under the terms of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; how temazepam relates to these criteria; and if she will make a statement. [31394]
Mr. Bowis: No rescheduling may occur under the 1991 Act except after consultation with, or on the recommendation of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs; and the council is required to have regard to misused drugs which are having, or appear to them capable of having, harmful effects sufficient to constitute a social problem. The council has recommended that temazepam should be controlled under schedule 3 of the relevant regulations rather than schedule 4. The Government's careful consideration of this recommendation is continuing.
My right hon. Friend the Lord President of the Council announced on 10 May at column 756 that the Department is engaged in consultations with a view to banning national health service prescribing by general practitioners of the soft gelatin gel-filled temazepam capsules and the Home Department is taking steps to impose safe custody requirements on manufacturers and wholesalers.
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Nursing Homes
Mr. Sykes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the economic impact on the independent nursing sector of referrals by North Yorkshire county council to nursing homes owned by that council; [31674]
(2) what percentage of referrals by North Yorkshire county council are to council-owned nursing homes; [31676]
(3) what representations she has received from the independent nursing sector on referrals by North Yorkshire county council to homes owned by that council. [31666]
Mr. Bowis: Local authorities may own residential care homes but not nursing homes. I have received representations from my hon. Friend about this matter.
Mr. Sykes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the number of nursing homes providing specialist care in North Yorkshire owned (a) privately and (b) by the county council. [31673]
Mr. Bowis: Centrally held data on nursing home provision relates to health authority and not local authority areas. In 1993 94 there were 138 registered homes within the North Yorkshire health district. The table gives number of beds by specialisation.
0
|Number
------------------------------------------------
Mental illness |453
People with learning disabilities |-
Maternity |-
Physically disabled |360
Alcohol and drug misuse |7
Other |3,850
Total number of beds |4,670
Local authorities do not own nursing homes.
Bridge Consultancy Report
Mr. French: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will place a copy of the Bridge consultancy report in the Library; and if she will make a statement. [31700]
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