House of Commons Hansard Debates for 10 Jul 1995

Mr. Eggar: As with any other, the prospects for this sector-- including employment--depend on the strength of its international competitiveness. The Department is working with the sector on competitiveness through initiatives such as a tableware strategy group, a manufacturing improvement club and regular discussions with the British Ceramics Confederation on a range of other issues which affect its future prospects.

Mrs. Figoni

Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if his Department intends to seek further medical evidence in the case of Mrs. Figoni of Glan Gors Fawr Rhosybol, Amlwch, Ynys Mon, Gwynedd, before announcing his decision on the application by British Gas for a compulsory purchase order in respect of land at Glans Gors Fawr; and when the expects to announce his decision. [32658]

Mr. Eggar [holding answer 6 July 1995]: Having considered the matter carefully, I do not intend to seek further medical evidence. I expect a decision to be announced shortly.

Mr. Jones: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the procedure followed in the inquiry into the application for a compulsory purchase order by British Gas relating to land belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Figoni of Glan Gors Fawr Rhosybol, Amlwch, Ynys Mon, Gwynedd; and what assessment he has made of whether proper regard was given to the objections made to the location of the inquiry. [32659]

Mr. Eggar [holding answer 6 July 1995]: I am satisfied that the procedure followed at the inquiry and

Column 412

the opportunities afforded for representations to be made subsequently were adequate to ensure that proper consideration could be given to all matters relating to British Gas's application and that proper regard was given to the one objection made with respect to the location of the inquiry.

Deregulation

Mr. Clapham: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the criteria used by his Department to identify regulations as suitable for repeal. [33279]

Mr. Freeman: I have been asked to reply.

Under the deregulation initiative, Departments have reviewed all their regulations which impact on business to identify candidates for repeal or amendment. In so doing, each regulation is considered on a case-by-case basis to determine whether or not it still serves a useful need and whether it is unduly burdensome.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Legal Aid (Inquests)

32. Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what studies have been initiated to discover the demand for legal aid in regard to inquests. [31470]

Mr. John M. Taylor: None. However, this issue is raised in the legal aid Green Paper, on which the Government would welcome views.

Court Practices

33. Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will introduce legislation to modernise courts' practices. [31471]

Mr. John M. Taylor: Courts' practices are already being modernised through the increased use of information technology--for example, the use of closed circuit television links for child witnesses, lap-top computers and communication links for the judiciary, case tracking systems in various courts, infra-red hearing enhancement systems in courtrooms, and two widely used computerised bulk issue centres for summonses and warrants.

Judicial Appointments

35. Mr. Janner: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many (a) women and (b) members of ethnic minorities are currently (i) high court judges, (ii) county court judges, (iii) circuit judges and (iv) chairpersons of industrial tribunals. [31474]

Mr. John M. Taylor: On 1 June 1995 there were six female High Court judges, 31 female circuit judges and eight female full-time chairmen of industrial tribunals. On the same date there were, according to the best information we have available, no High Court judges of ethnic minority origin, four circuit judges of ethnic minority origin and two full-time chairmen of industrial tribunals of ethnic minority origin. Circuit judges sitting in the county court are included in the circuit judge figures.

Column 413

Disabled People

36. Mr. Barnes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is his Department's policy concerning the accessibility of the judicial system to disabled people; and if he will make a statement. [31475]

Mr. John M. Taylor: Facilities for disabled people are continuously reviewed and every effort is made to improve them as necessary.

Court Service (Delays)

37. Mrs. Roche: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement regarding delays in the Court Service. [31476]

Mr. John M. Taylor: While there will always be an element of delay in all court proceedings, the Court Service is taking active measures to keep it to the minimum.

Legal Aid (Eligibility)

38. Dr. Goodson-Wickes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what recent representations he has considered about eligibility for legal aid. [31478]

Mr. John M. Taylor: I receive many representations about legal aid eligibility. Recently there have been 50 responses to the consultation paper "Legal Aid for the Apparently Wealthy".

Limitation Legislation

Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he expects to complete his review of limitation legislation. [31473]

Mr. John M. Taylor: As I informed the hon. Member on 13 March, the review is to be carried out by the Law Commission. It announced in its sixth programme that it hopes to have completed its work on limitation periods generally by the end of 1998.

Law Commission

Mr. Khabra: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he expects the Government to publish their response to the Law Commission's report on mental incapacity. [33057]

Mr. John M. Taylor: The Government have set up an

interdepartmental working group, chaired by the Lord Chancellor's Department, to consider the Law Commission report on mental incapacity. The group is to produce an initial report for consideration by Ministers by September 1 1995. The Government's initial response will be published once Ministers have had an opportunity to consider the working group's report.

Small Claims

Mr. Boateng: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he expects to implement Lord Woolf's recommendation that the small claims limit, other than for personal injury claims, should be raised to £3,000. [33111]

Mr. John M. Taylor: No timetable has yet been set for the laying of a statutory instrument before the House.

Column 414

Mr. Boateng: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to exclude all personal injury claims valued at under £1,000 from the small claims procedure. [33112]

Mr. Taylor: In his interim report on access to justice Lord Woolf recommended that, pending the introduction of a new "fast track" procedure, personal injury cases up to £1,000 should remain within the small claims jurisdiction, and the Lord Chancellor has accepted this recommendation.

Internet

Mr. Boateng: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to (a) allow or (b) compel HMSO to make available statutes, other official parliamentary publications from his Department and court judgments on the Internet; and if he will make a statement. [33113]

Mr. John M. Taylor: These and related matters are kept under review but it would be premature to make a statement.

Crown Office Liaison

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what liaison arrangements exist between his office and the Crown Office in Edinburgh. [31472]

Mr. John M. Taylor: The Lord Chancellor's Department and Crown Office consult each other on matters where they share a common interest.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

RMS St. Helena

Sir David Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when it is anticipated that the report of consultants on the sailing schedule of RMS St. Helena will be published. [31580]

Mr. Hanley: The consultants' draft report is currently under consideration. It is hoped that the final report will be available in approximately three months' time when copies will be made available to the Libraries of the House.

Population Control (China)

Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the amount of funding support given to the Chinese Family Planning Association by the Chinese Government. [32016]

Mr. Hanley: We have asked the International Planned Parenthood Federation whether it can obtain this information. Any information received will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on whether the UNFPA has changed its view on whether the Chinese population control programme is totally voluntary. [32014]

Column 415

Mr. Hanley: The United Nations Population Fund does not claim that the ways in which the Chinese family planning programmes are implemented are always voluntary. UNFPA has continuously voiced its concern to the Government of China over reports of coercion.

Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the prevalence of articles encouraging coercive population control in Chinese newspapers in the 1990s. [32010]

Mr. Hanley: We are not able to monitor all press publications in China. However, we understand that the press generally reflects official policy on population issues.

Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the sums given by the UNFPA to the construction of factories in China for the manufacture of intra- uterine devices; how many factories have been built; when they were completed; how many IUDs are manufactured each year; if such IUDs are inserted coercively; and if China now imports IUDs. [32018]

Mr. Hanley: The United Nations Population Fund has assisted in the upgrading of five copper IUD manufacturing facilities at a cost of approximately $7 million. China has at least one other such facility. We do not have information on the completion dates of these facilities, or the number of IUDs currently being manufactured in, or imported to, China. We have received reports that IUDs have sometimes been inserted coercively, and we totally condemn such practices.

Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the training given by the UNFPA for Chinese population control officials; and if such training is offered to officials from the national, state and prefectural levels of Chinese government; what computer hardware and software is provided by the UNFPA to (a) the Chinese State Family Planning Commission and (b) prefectural level population control offices; what systems this equipment was designed to run and to what use the equipment is now being put; and what information he has on the training offered by the UNFPA in the use of IT for population control purposes. [32006]

Mr. Hanley: The United Nations Population Fund's recent training has focused on interpersonal counselling and informed consent practices for family planning and health workers at local level. UNFPA supplied computers for both the 1982 and 1990 censuses, and it has supplied computers to 22 Chinese universities for teaching population science. The computers that were provided for censuses are now used for inter-census surveys and research.

Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on any statements made by the IPPF or UNFPA which specifically condemn the use of coercion in population control in China. [32012]

Mr. Hanley: Both the United Nations Population Fund and the International Planned Parenthood Federation make it clear in their policies and statements that they strongly oppose the use of coercion in population and

Column 416

reproductive health programmes. Neither organisation issues public statements criticising the population policies of any individual country. However, both have expressed their concern, in written and oral communications with the Chinese authorities, about reported incidents of coercion. We believe that both the UNFPA and IPPF are capable of making the right judgments about how best they can help towards improving population and reproductive health policies in individual countries.

Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the role played by the Chinese State Family Planning Commission in the drafting and dissemination of coercive family planning regulations to Chinese states since 1979, in organising coercive population control initiatives, and in the initiation and implementation of the responsibility system and the veto with one vote system in which cadres are judged by their results in keeping to the one child policy. [32008]

Mr. Hanley: We understand that the State Family Planning Commission has overall responsibility for policy on family planning, and that provincial people's congresses, municipalities and autonomous regions are responsible for establishing their own regulations relating to family size. Responsibility for programme implementation rests with provincial family planning commissions. We have no authoritative information on the "responsibility system".

Philippines Cordillera

Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the European Union agricultural assistance programme in the Philippines Cordillera; and what changes he will be seeking in the next phase of this programme. [31845]

Mr. Hanley: The European Commission has not yet released the results of a recent evaluation of the Philippines Cordillera project. We understand, however, that it is likely to recommend the funding of a second phase of the project. We will seek to ensure the evaluation findings are fully reflected in the proposals for any such second phase.

WALES

Departmental Policies

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he intends to continue with all the policies of his last two predecessors. [31451]

Mr. Hague: The Government's policies for Wales are clear and will continue.

Mr. Hanson: To ask the Secretary State for Wales what changes of policy he plans. [31454]

Mr. Hague: The Government's policies for Wales are clear and will continue.

Column 417

Voluntary Sector

Mr. Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what initiatives he intends to take to encourage the work of the voluntary sector in Wales. [31438]

Mr. Richards: We shall continue to encourage, develop and maintain a strong, vigorous and independent voluntary sector.

Caretakers

Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will provide funding to improve the working conditions of caretakers in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [31439]

Mr. Hague: This is a matter for the employers involved.

Departmental Priorities

Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will state his priorities for the next six months. [31441]

Mr. Hague: The Government's policies for Wales are clear and will continue.

State Nursery Schools

Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has of the percentage of children of the age of three and four years currently in state nursery schools; and if he will make a statement. [31442]

Mr. Richards: Some 5 per cent. of three and four-year-olds in Wales currently attend maintained nursery schools, either full or part time. Almost another 31 per cent. attend nursery classes in maintained primary schools, and a further 36.5 per cent. attend maintained schools' reception classes, again either full or part-time.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment announced on 6 July, Official Report, columns 517-32, our proposals to give all parents the opportunity to choose a publicly funded place in nursery education for their four-year-olds.

Official Duties

Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how he divides his time between his role as Secretary of State for Wales and his other official duties. [31443]

Mr. Hague: I have no other official duties.

National Health Service (Dental Services)

Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received on NHS dental cover in Wales during the past 12 months. [31445]

Mr. Richards: In the past 12 months, 218 representations on the question of dental cover have been received either from or on behalf of people living in Wales. Of these, 136 were for hon. Members.

Column 418

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what progress has been made regarding the provision of NHS dental treatment in Wales. [31453]

Mr. Richards: There are presently 850 general dental practitioners in Wales, 36 per cent. more than in 1979. Some 1.7 million patients are registered with a dentist and some £68 million was spent on NHS dentistry in 1993 94.

Earlier this year the then Secretary of State announced that he was making a further £2.5 million available in Wales to improve dental services in the community and an announcement will be made soon about how that money will be spent.

Unitary Authorities

Mr. Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he plans to meet leaders of the new unitary authorities in Wales to discuss service provision. [31446]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: I have already meet the leaders of two of the new unitary authorities and my colleagues and I look forward to meeting all of the other leaders in the future.

Welsh Grand Committee

Mr. John Owen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will renew the policies put forward in 1992 on the meetings and format of the Welsh Grand Committee. [31448]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: It is up to the Committee to determine when and where it meets and such things are arranged through the usual channels.

Rural White Paper

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has for a rural White Paper for Wales. [31450]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: My right hon. Friend and I have no plans to publish a rural White Paper for Wales.

Civil Service (Jobs)

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary or State for Wales how many full- time civil service jobs there are in Wales; and how many he expects there to be in two years time. [31452]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: There were 28,724 full-time equivalent civil servants in Wales at 1 April 1994. This figure includes part-time staff who are counted as half units. Information on full-time staff only is not held centrally. The civil service will remain a significant employer in Wales.

Welsh Development Agency (Property Sales)

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what effect he expects the sale of Welsh Development Agency property to have on future investment and job creation in Wales. [31455]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: Receipts from the sale of Welsh Development Agency property will be reinvested in the economy of Wales to create more jobs and more investment.

Column 419

Fire Service (Reorganisation)

Mr. Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to visit Wales in the next month to discuss the response to the proposals to reorganise the fire service. [31457]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: No, the responsibility for fire brigades and their reorganisation in Wales rests with my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary.

Countryside Council for Wales (Budget)

Mr. Dafis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will reverse the recent reductions in the budget of the Countryside Council for Wales. [31459]

Mr. Hague: The most recent adjustment to the budget of the Countryside Council for Wales was an addition of up to £525,000 to enable necessary new work to be undertaken in the current financial year.

Landfill Sites

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning his policy on the tipping of contaminated soil and other substances in landfill sites. [31460]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: Landfill sites for the disposal of waste must be licensed by waste regulation authorities. Individual licence conditions determine the types of waste which may be deposited at a site.

The Government have provided guidance to waste regulation authorities in a series of waste management papers.

Tuberculosis (Cattle)

Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what advice he has received on the reason for the change in the number of positive tuberculosis tests for cattle in the last five years. [31735]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: There has been an increase incidence of the disease and investigations support the contention that much of the increase is due to infection from badgers. The Government are already carrying out research into ways of avoiding transmission of disease from badgers to cattle, including studies on the effects of badger removal operations on the badger population and their impact on the subsequent spread of disease within the badger population.

A55

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the estimated cost of building the dual carriageway A55 expressway between Chester and Bangor in current prices. [32931]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: The information is not available in the form requested. The improvements to the A55 between Chester and Bangor cost some £700 million.

Next Section

Home Page