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Column 381
Written Answers to Questions
Friday 20 October 1995
ENVIRONMENT
Local Government Finance
Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into a comparison of amounts awarded to authorities in the south-east through the area cost adjustment with the actual additional costs for those authorities; and what that comparison showed. [38172]
Sir Paul Beresford: The group of officials and officers of the local authority associations who discuss possible changes in standard spending assessments reported in September on this subject. Their report showed that there remains a wide divergence of views as to both the nature and the scale of the additional costs faced by authorities in London and the south- east, if they were to provide similar standards of service to those in other parts of the country. My hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Urban Regeneration has therefore proposed to the local authority associations that an independent review of the area cost adjustment should be carried out. We anticipate that research will be commissioned to assist the review in its work. It will be for the review team to consider whether research of the kind to which my hon. Friend refers would be of assistance to it.
Mrs. Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list to one decimal place the percentage of total standard spending assessment received by area cost adjustment for the financial years 1990 91 to 1995 96.
Sir Paul Beresford: The information requested is set out in the table.
|Area cost
|Contribution|Total |adjustment
|of area cost|standard |as
|adjustment |spending |percentage
|factor |assessment |of total
Year |£ million |£ million |Percentage
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1990-91 |837 |29,805 |2.8
1991-92 |1,152 |35,587 |3.2
1992-93 |1,315 |37,993 |3.5
1993-94 |1,332 |36,622 |3.6
1994-95 |1,536 |37,848 |4.1
1995-96 |1,658 |38,743 |4.3
(1995-96 excluding
Metropolitan police) |(1,556) |- |(4.0)
Notes:
1. The apparent increase in share in 1995-96 is because the SSA for the
Receiver for the Metropolitan police was previously based on his budget,
as approved by the Home Secretary. This included
those extra costs which, from 1995-96, are reflected in the area cost
adjustment. Excluding this effect, the share fell slightly in 1995-96 from
4.1 per cent. to 4.0 per cent.
2. The 1995-96 figures exclude a small element of area cost adjustment
which is incorporated within the indicator "Pension Expenditure" in the
police SSA.
London Docklands Development Corporation
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what contracts qualify for operations under the provisions of section 70 and schedule 13 of the Finance (No. 2) Act 1992 in respect of the enterprise zone operated by the London Docklands development corporation, stating the nature of each contract and the date of commencement of any building completed or planned. [37577]
Sir Paul Beresford [holding answer 19 October 1995]: I am unable to supply the information requested because the types of contract referred to result from detailed discussions between the individual developers and the Inland Revenue. Neither the Department nor the London Docklands development corporation is privy to those discussions.
TREASURY
Investors Compensation Scheme
Mr. Matthew Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current status of the Treasury's guarantee of the borrowings of the investors compensation scheme. [38905]
Mrs. Angela Knight: The Treasury has today withdrawn the guarantee of borrowing by the investors compensation scheme of up to a maximum of £17 million. The purpose of the guarantee, which was granted on 5 July, was to enable the ICS to continue to operate normally, pending the outcome of a judicial review made by Sun Life. Because of the uncertainty created by the review, neither the personal investment authority nor the ICS considered it prudent to levy PIA's members to fund the ICS. The judicial review is now resolved, and the Personal Investment Authority has levied its members. The need for the guarantee has consequently ceased and has accordingly been withdrawn.
NATIONAL HERITAGE
Television
Mr. Grocott: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the number of households and the percentage of the total number of households which is currently receiving (a) terrestrial television, (b) satellite television and (c) cable
television. [37915]
Mr. Sproat: Of the 24 million households in the United Kingdom, from currently available data it is estimated that 23.47 million or 97.8 per cent. currently receive terrestrial television, 3.5 million or 14.6 per cent. receive satellite television and 1.05 million 4.4 per cent. receive broad band cable television.
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TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Science, Engineering and Technology
Mr. Michael Brown: To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he will respond to the final report of the ad hoc committee chaired by Sir Arnold Wolfendale set up to review the contribution of professional scientists, engineers and research students to improved public understanding of science, engineering and technology. [38961]
Mr. Lang: The Government are grateful for the work of Sir Arnold and the committee, and welcome the final report, which I am publishing today.
The report make a number of important recommendations aimed at improving the contribution made by professional scientists, engineers and research students to improving the public understanding of science, engineering and technology.
Recommendations 7.12 and 7.14 are addressed to the Office of Science and Technology and will be implemented as soon as possible. Other recommendations are longer term. I have drawn to the attention of colleagues in the Department for Education and Employment, the Scottish Office, the Welsh Office and the Northern Ireland Office the recommendations addressed to the universities and funding councils which fall within their areas of responsibility.
Small Business (Ministers)
Dr. John Cunningham: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many additional Ministers will be necessitated by his recent proposals for small business Ministers. [37771]
Mr. Lang: Existing Ministers in the Departments identified will take on the additional responsibility in ensuring that small firms are considered in the formulation of policy and the Department's activities.
Business Links
Dr. John Cunningham: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will provide an update on the progress of the establishment of business links. [37760]
Mr. Lang: Progress with establishing business links is encouraging. There are now 142 business link outlets open, offering services to 70 per cent. of VAT registered businesses in England. By the end of the year, more than 200 outlets will be open.
EU Funding
Mr. Harvey: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if the Government will undertake an assessment of matching funds available and forecasted to ensure the effective draw-down of European Union funds. [38043]
Mr. Eggar: The European structural funds make grants of only part of the cost of any project. It is the responsibility of the applicant for grant to find the remainder of the cost.
I know of no evidence of a shortage of such "matching" money to ensure full take-up of the United Kingdom's allocations from the funds. These are being substantially over-subscribed.
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Water Board Merger
Mr. Parry: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will now refer the proposed merger between North West Water and Norweb to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission; and if he will make a statement. [38181]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: The Director General of Fair Trading is currently investigating the proposed merger and will advise my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade in due course. A decision on whether or not it should be referred to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission will be taken once that advice is received.
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Preparation of Probate Papers
Mr. Byers: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he plans to implement section 55 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990; and if he will make a statement. [38177]
Mr. John M. Taylor: While I am not aware of any substantial public concern at the delay in implementation, it remains the Government's intention to bring the section into force when the appropriate resources are available.
PRIME MINISTER
Breast Cancer Campaign
Sir David Steel: To ask the Prime Minister how many postcards he has received from the National Postcard Campaign for Breast Cancer since 7 June. [37929]
The Prime Minister: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Members for Falkirk, West (Mr. Canavan) and for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Dr. Jones) on 16 October 1995, Official Report , column 23 .
DEFENCE
Ministerial Advisers
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what position Mr. Hart had in his Department; and if he will list the duties he undertakes, the hours and days in the weeks he is involved in such work and the salary paid to him. [38092]
Mr. Portillo: Mr. Hart continues to be my unpaid independent adviser.
RAF Stornoway
Mr. Macdonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the market testing feasibility study regarding RAF Stornoway to be completed. [38309]
Mr. Soames: An announcement on the findings of the feasibility study on the care and maintenance task at RAF Stornoway is expected to be made by the end of the year.
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Metric and Imperial Measures
Mr. Rooker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those areas of defence procurement in which specifications for manufacture are in (a) metric and (b) imperial
measurements. [37611]
Mr. Arbuthnot: Defence procurement covers a wide range of product areas from clothing to guns, ships and battle tanks. In each of those areas there is a mix of metric and imperial specifications. Generally it has been MOD practice to use metric measurements since the early 1970s for all procurement. However, spares procurement to maintain some older in-service equipment may still use imperial measurements.
Search and Rescue Helicopters
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all incidents in the past five years in which vessels have declared emergencies in the vicinity of the United Kingdom to which British military search and rescue helicopters were unable to respond due to inadequate range; what was the date, location and vessel's name in each case; and if he will indicate those incidents in which United States air force H-53 helicopters came to the aid of the vessel. [37532]
Mr. Soames: It is for the Coastguard Agency to decide which SAR assets to deploy to incidents in the UK SAR region, and where refuelling facilities are available the Coastguard may request military SAR helicopter assistance at an incident outside the helicopter's normal base operating range. My Department does not keep detailed records of search and rescue incidents to which military helicopters did not respond. Our records show that a United States air force CH-53 helicopter assisted at a maritime incident in the UK SAR region on 21 August 1991 involving the recovery of a crewman from the weather ship Cumulus at 57 00N 020 00W.
Hazardous Waste (Dumping at Sea)
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the total quantities of (a) toxic chemical wastes, (b) surplus explosives, (c) redundant biological and chemical weapons stores and (d) radioactive wastes disposed of into the North Atlantic, Irish sea and English channel. [37661]
Mr. Soames: Complete records of past sea dumping operations are not available. In particular, it is not possible to identify the total tonnages or precise natures of conventional munitions which were disposed of by this means. However, surviving records indicate that approximately 120,000 tonnes of UK-manufactured chemical warfare munitions and some 17,000 tonnes of captured German aerial bombs containing the nerve agent tabun were dumped in sealed hulks scuttled in deep water in the North Atlantic, and 14,000 tons of phosgene-charged munitions were disposed of in Beaufort dyke in the north channel. There are no records of biological agents having been disposed of at sea. Details of the UK's sea disposal programme for low and intermediate-level radioactive wastes, including wastes generated by MOD establishments, were contained in a report commissioned by the Department of the
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Environment titled "Report of the Independent Review of Disposal of Radioactive Waste in the Northeast Atlantic" published by HMSO in November 1984.FOA and JAST Programmes
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of possible conflict between the FOA and JAST programmes. [37799]
Mr. Arbuthnot [holding answer 19 October 1995]: Work is in progress to define our requirement for a future offensive aircraft--FOA-- for the Royal Air Force. JAST--joint advanced strike technology--is a US programme to develop a family of common-based aircraft for the US services. There is no conflict between the two programmes.
Tornado Aircraft
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with United Kingdom defence industry representatives concerning the replacement of the Tornado GR1 aircraft. [37726]
Mr. Arbuthnot [holding answer 19 October 1995]: My officials have had a number of preliminary discussions with representatives of the UK defence industry about possible procurement options and relevant technologies.
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Upper Waiting Hall (Exhibitions)
Mr. Brandreth: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if he has considered an application for an exhibition relating to the work of the Loughborough college of art and design. [38798]
Mr. Michael J. Martin: I understand that, under procedures agreed by the Administration Committee, arrangements have been made for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from Monday 11 December to Friday 15 December 1995.
WALES
Road Casualties
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people were (a) killed and (b) injured in Wales in road accidents in each of the last five years; and if he will make a
statement. [37987]
Mr. Gwilym Jones: Road casualty statistics are published annually by the Welsh Office. Casualties by severity can be found in table 9.1 of "Road Accidents: Wales No. 15 1994", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
Training and Enterprise Councils
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairmen of the North East Wales and TARGED training and enterprise
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councils concerning merger proposals; and if he will make a statement. [38420]Mr. Hague: None, although my officials are being kept informed by both of the prospective merger partners about the progress of their discussions. These discussions are still at an early stage and it would therefore be inappropriate for me to make any comment at this time.
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning the principles by which the present geographical areas of the training and enterprise councils may be varied by way of (a) merger, (b) break-up and (c) total redrawing of boundaries. [38419]
Mr. Hague: Under the terms of the operating agreement between the Welsh Office and each of the TECs in Wales, I recognise the TEC as the body able to perform the functions of a training and enterprise council for the operational area set out in the TEC's corporate plan. Any changes to the operational area brought about by boundary adjustment or merger can be recognised on annual renewal of the agreement.
Earlier this year, TECs were invited to review their operational areas, taking into account the boundaries of the new unitary authorities. As a consequence, it is expected that some adjustments to TEC operational areas will be proposed. I understand that discussions between the TECs--and with other local interests as appropriate--are proceeding.
If these discussions give rise to proposals to the adjustment of TEC operational areas, the Department is able to give effect to such adjustments via the recognition provision in the operating agreement.
Sewage Treatment
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the European Commission concerning the derogation application to cover the period between the year 2000 and the completion of the secondary treatment facilities at the proposed new sewage treatment works serving the western valleys of Gwent, central and eastern Cardiff and the present Ystradyfedwg and Pontypridd trunk sewer catchment area; on what date the application was made for derogation; and on what date he estimates receiving a decision on approval. [38418]
Mr. Hague: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my predecessor my right hon. Friend the Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) on 20 October 1994, Official Report , column 313 .
Brecon Jazz Festival
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of the Wales tourist board concerning the withdrawal of the offer of grant to the Brecon jazz festival following receipt of an offer of assistance from the millennium fund; and if he will make a statement. [38417]
Mr. Hague: None. However, my officials have discussed this matter with the Wales tourist board.
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Toddington's Ltd.
Mr. Stephen Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was paid under the various schemes of the common agricultural policy to Toddington's Ltd. of Pembrokeshire, south Wales in the latest year for which information is available. [38176]
Mr. Gwilym Jones: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Pembroke, (Mr. Ainger) on 19 July 1995.
EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
Nursery Education Vouchers
Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many authorities have undertaken to pilot the nursery voucher scheme. [37986]
Mr. Robin Squire: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Hazel Grove (Sir. T. Arnold) on 17 October 1995, Official Report , column 129 .
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many times during the academic year nursery vouchers will be issued to parents. [37985]
Mr. Squire: Nursery vouchers will be issued termly to parents of eligible children.
Grant-maintained Status
Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is her policy in respect of whether all schools will have to ballot parents on opting out. [37989]
Mr. Robin Squire: My right hon. Friend has no present plans to require all schools to hold a ballot of parents on the question of grant- maintained status.
Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what target she has set for the number of schools opting out by the end of the present academic year. [37935]
Mr. Squire: My right hon. Friend does not, and never has had, a target for the number of schools to be grant-maintained by the end of this academic year, or by any other date.
Assisted Places Scheme
Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many extra assisted places she is planning to make available; what is the estimated cost of the extra places; and what will be the timetable for implementation. [37934]
Mrs. Gillan: Over time, we plan to double--to some 70,000--the number of assisted places available, starting next year. The rate of expansion will depend on parental demand and the supply of high quality places. Financial provision and other detailed arrangements will be announced later, in the context of the Government's public expenditure plans for 1996 97 onwards.
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Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what plans she has to change the income threshold for the eligibility for the assisted places scheme; [38089]
(2) what plans she has to change the administrative arrangements for the assisted places scheme. [38090]
Mrs. Gillan: The income threshold and administrative arrangements for the assisted places scheme are governed mainly by the Education (Assisted Places) Regulations 1995, made under the Education Act 1980. These are reviewed and revised annually.
Teachers' Pension Scheme
Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list, in respect of the teachers' superannuation scheme, for each of the four years 1 April 1991 to 31 March 1995 (a) the amount of net new money in the scheme, (b) the market value of the notional fund at 31 March in each year and (c) the book value of the notional fund on 31 March each year. [38088]
Mr. Robin Squire: The notional fund of the teachers' superannuation scheme is an accounting device which is used to determine the level of employers' contributions. There is no real fund, and in reality payments to and from the fund are payments to and from the Exchequer. It is not therefore meaningful to speak of there being new money in the scheme. However, the difference between the opening and closing balances on the notional teachers' superannuation account for each financial year is given in table 1. The value of the notional fund, as measured by the closing balance on the teachers' superannuation account at 31 March is given in table 2. This is the book value of the notional fund; there is no market value since the fund does not exist. The figures for 1993 94 have been produced only recently, and are subject to audit. Figures for 1994 95 are not yet available.
Year |£000s
---------------------------------
Table 1
1991-92 |1,699,141
1992-93 |1,729,126
1993-94 |1,664,046
Table 2
1992 |23,270,506
1993 |24,999,632
1994 |26,663,678
Departmental Stationery and Livery Costs
Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the cost of changing (a) the stationery and (b) the livery of the former Departments of Education and of Employment when they were merged. [38091]
Mr. Robin Squire: In the initial period following the merger, the estimated cost of changing the stationery and livery of the two former Departments was approximately £32,000.
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Jobseeker's Allowance
Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the total cost to date to consultants for advice relating to the provisions contained within the Jobseekers Act 1995; and what is the estimate of the final costs. [38178]
Mr. Forth: To date, the jobseeker's allowance implementation project has spent £979,000 on private sector consultancy support. It is anticipated that a further £1,168,000 will be spent on this item through existing contracts. The implementation project is currently considering tenders for management consultancy support after October 1995. At this state there is no firm figure for the costs of this additional support.
TRANSPORT
Licence Plates
Mr. Marlow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport to what extent the new car licence plates in the Federal Republic of Germany incorporating the Euro-emblem result from EU legislation; and under what legislation United Kingdom licence plates would incorporate this emblem. [38421]
Mr. Norris: The new German number plate format does not result from EU legislation. The relevant UK legislation is the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 1971. We have no plans to make a similar change.
Road Casualties
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people were (a) killed and (b) injured in road accidents in England for each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [37988]
Mr. Norris: The information is as follows:
Year |Killed |Injured -------------------------------- 1990 |4,423 |293,053 1991 |3,854 |266,988 1992 |3,549 |268,210 1993 |3,228 |266,059 1994 |3,077 |274,424
Mr. Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the number of heavy goods vehicle drivers dying as a result of road traffic accidents in each of the last five years. [38165]
Mr. Norris: The information requested is shown in the following table:
Number of HGV drivers killed in road accidents in Great Britain Year --------------- 1990 |55 1991 |50 1992 |62 1993 |55 1994 |39 Source: Road Accidents Great Britain-The Casualty Report HMSO 1995.
King's Cross Underground Station (Escalators)
Mr. John Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the estimated cost of the escalator works at King's Cross underground station. [37754]
Mr. Norris: This is an operational matter for London Underground.
Harbour Revision Orders
Mr. Barry Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who may promote a harbour revision order other than the harbour commissioners responsible for the particular port. [37904]
Mr. Norris: Section 14 of the Harbours Act 1964 allows an application for a harbour revision order to be made to the Secretary of State by the harbour authority or
"by a person appearing to him to have a substantial interest or body representative of persons appearing to him to have such an interest".
Crossrail
Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library at an appropriate time a copy of the Montague report on the route of the new crossrail project in London. [37713]
Mr. Norris: My right hon. Friend the Member for Peterborough (Dr. Mawhinney) asked for a study on several aspects of the crossrail project, including its structure and ownership under the railway privatisation arrangements, the central London employment forecasts on which the case for it depends and the advantages and disadvantages of possible small-scale alternatives to it. I will consider how best to inform hon. Members of the results of the study when it has been completed and I have had an opportunity to consider it.
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