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Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road
Assessment
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment last met; and what plans have been made for the future work programme of the committee. [40500]
Mr. Watts: The Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment last met in May 1994. No decisions have yet been taken on the committee's future work programme.
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration will be given to including within the work programme of the Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment the assessment of the impact of noise from highways and the justification for various means of ameliorating this nuisance. [40498]
Mr. Watts: In 1989 the Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment was asked to review the Department of Transport's methods for assessing environmental costs and benefits, including the impact of noise. The committee's report, "Assessing the Environmental Impact of Road Schemes", and the Government's response were published in March 1992. Subsequently, the Department's guidance on the assessment of environmental impacts has been updated--volume 11 of the design manual for roads and bridges. Also research is on-going into the valuation of nuisance, including noise, in the home, due to road traffic.
I have no plans currently to ask SACTRA to revisit this issue.
Late Payment (Small Businesses)
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how often his Department and each agency within it has failed to pay invoices due to small businesses within 30 days in each of the last five years. [40505]
Mr. Norris: Information is not available in the form requested.
M66
Mr. Charles Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by what date he expects completion of the M66 Manchester outer ring road. [39986]
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Mr. Watts [holding answer 30 October 1995]: Spring 1999.
Newbury Bypass
Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the total projected cost of the Newbury bypass before its postponement in December last year; and what is the total projected cost now, under the current tendering process. [40583]
Mr. Watts [holding answer 31 October 1995]: This is an operational matter for the Highways Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to hon Member.
Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. David Rendel, dated 1 November 1995:
As you know, the Minister for Railway and Roads, Mr. John Watts, has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Transport, what was the total projected cost of the Newbury Bypass before its postponement in December of last year: and what is the total projected cost now, under the current tendering process.
You will appreciate that due to the imminent tendering process, there is some commercial sensitivity attached to the previous tender prices received last year. However, for the current tenders, we now expect the cost excluding land and VAT to be about £60m. This figure has increased slightly since last December due to increases in construction prices.
Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the projected total cost of the current tendering process itself for the Newbury bypass. [40584]
Mr. Watts [holding answer 31 October 1995]: This is an operational matter for the Highways Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. David Rendel, dated 1 November 1995:
As you know, the Minister for Railways and Roads, Mr. John Watts, has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Transport, what is the projected total cost of the current tendering process itself for the Newbury Bypass. Costs to the tenderers are unknown to us, and the cost of our own staff time is relatively small and not easily identifiable, but the estimated cost of our Consultants time in preparing new tender documents and assessing them, and the cost of printing the tender documents is about £100,000.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Jewellery Industry
Ms Short: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment Her Majesty's Government have made of the effect of EU regulation of the jewellery industry on the position of British manufacturers in the foreign market; what review he is conducting; and if he will make a statement. [40751]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: I have been asked to reply.
I am not aware of any EU regulations pertaining to the jewellery industry which substantially affect the position of British manufacturers in foreign markets. The Government have listened carefully to the views of British jewellery manufacturers during negotiations on the proposed directives on the marking of articles of precious metal and on nickel in jewellery, and to their concerns
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about the implications for Hallmarking Act 1973 of the judgment of the European Court in the Houtwipper case ECJ 293/93.HMSO
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment he has made of the advantages and disadvantages in the privatisation of HMSO. [40479]
Mr. Horam: The future of HMSO has been examined in depth several times in recent years, against the background of changing markets and a developing business structure. The most recent examination found that privatisation is feasible and that there should be sufficient interest to maximise proceeds through competitive tender. Coopers and Lybrand is now considering urgently options for the future of HMSO, with a view to privatisation, as my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster announced last month. We are consulting the authorities in this House and the other place on the necessary safeguards to protect the continued high standards of HMSO's service to Parliament before taking a decision on the way forward.
HMSO's core market in the public sector is shrinking and it faces intense competition from the private sector. At the same time, it is constrained by having to operate from within government: it cannot trade in wider markets, nor can it diversify or raise investment capital as easily as its competitors. Unless these constraints are removed there is a real risk of the business declining. An early privatisation, subject to the needs of Parliament being met, would open up opportunities for the business.
Lancashire Constabulary
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment he has made of performance against the standards set out in the citizens charter of the Lancashire constabulary. [40474]
Mr. Horam: Lancashire constabulary applied for a charter mark this year. Assessment involves evaluation against all six citizens charter principles plus three more: user satisfaction, measurable improvements in the quality of service, and innovative enhancements to services at no extra cost. An announcement on those organisations which have been successful will be made in December.
Executive Agencies
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many times in each month of the current year he has met personally the heads of agencies which report to him to discuss the work of those agencies. [39853]
The Deputy Prime Minister: Since assuming my new responsibilities, I have met the chief executive of the Civil Service College for discussions on one occasion.
I have yet to meet the other agency heads in person. However, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster met the chief executives of the
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Chessington Computer Centre and of HMSO for discussions in August, and again in September; and the chief executive of the Central Office of Information in October.My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service has met the chief executives of all the agencies reporting to me at least once each in the course of the year.
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list by grade the numbers of staff and their cost for (a) the financial year 1994 95 and (b) the estimated figures for the financial year 1995 96, for each executive agency for which he is responsible. [39493]
Mr. Horam: As this question concerns a purely operational matter, I have asked the chief executive of each agency concerned to write direct to the hon. Member.
Letter from Dr. E. C. McCloy to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 26 October 1995:
I am replying to your question to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in so far as it relates to my agency. The information you asked for is in the attached schedule.
The following information is available in respect of 1995 96.
|1995-96 |Estimated |1994-95 |1994-95
|Numbers |cost |Numbers |<1>salaries
|£ |£
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grades 3-7 |20 |1,186,745 |20 |-
Executive
Grades: |8 |168,856 |7 |-
Secretarial/
Clerical: |25 |451,160 |24 |-
SOHAs |9 |277,844 |9 |-
OHAs |24 |584,344 |19 |-
OHPs |8 |189,316 |11 |-
OHNs |6 |57,797 |10 |-
SPTOs |2 |63,278 |3 |-
HPTOs |2 |41,558 |2 |-
Total |104 |3,020,898 |105 |-
<1 >Detailed analysis for 1994-95 salaries not available.
Letter from Mike Lynn to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 27 October 1995:
I have been asked to reply, in respect of HMSO, to your Question (No 301) to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster about staff numbers and costs.
I should explain initially that for some years now HMSO has been maintaining its own pay and grading system, which is quite different from the standard Civil Service grading arrangements. Apart from my own post, which is a Civil Service Grade 2, about two thirds of HMSO's staff are on job evaluated paybands and the remainder is made up of mainly operational staff and others who are in single status grades. Average staff numbers in 1994 and 1995 (forecast) were as follows:
HMSO Payband |1994 |1995
--------------------------------------------------------
Payband 20 |2 |3
Payband 19 |1 |0
Payband 18 |4 |3
Payband 17 |3 |2
Payband 16 |6 |5
Payband 15 |8 |7
Payband 14 |17 |13
Payband 13 |35 |34
Payband 12 |18 |26
Payband 11 |57 |62
Payband 10 |100 |118
Payband 9 |179 |182
Payband 8 |253 |285
Payband 7 |331 |300
Payband 6 |128 |122
Payband 5 |270 |276
Payband 4 |337 |288
Payband 3 |147 |128
Payband 2 |32 |36
Payband 1 |27 |19
Non-banded staff |951 |960
Total |2,907 |2,870
Staff costs, including employer's contributions for national insurance and superannuation, were £75.1m in 1994, and are forecast to be £70.9m in 1995. HMSO's financial year runs from January to December.
Letter from Elizabeth Chennells to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 26 October 1995:
Your written question to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster regarding the staff numbers and costs for Executive Agency staff refers. Agency Chief Executives have been asked to reply to you directly. I am replying on behalf of Dr Hickey, Chief Executive of the Civil Service College, who is currently away from the office. The information that you require is attached. Because of the method the College uses to maintain its records for staff costs, a breakdown of costs by grade is not readily available. However I have included the total staff costs for the College for 1994 95 and our expected costs for 1995 96.
Civil Service College
Grade 1994-95 1995-96
|Number |Cost £000|Number |Cost £000
------------------------------------------------------------
Grade 3 |1 |- |1 |-
Grade 5 |3 |- |4 |-
Grade 6 |19 |- |18 |-
Grade 7 |77 |- |75 |-
SEO |11 |- |13 |-
Senior
Librarian |1 |- |1 |-
HEO |16 |- |17 |-
EO |45 |- |43 |-
Assistant
Librarian |2 |- |2 |-
Senior
Personal
Secretary |1 |- |1 |-
AO |76 |- |73 |-
AA |3 |- |4 |-
SGB1 |3 |- |3 |-
SGB2 |10 |- |14 |-
Personal
Secretary |10 |- |10 |-
Typist |2 |- |1 |-
Total |280 |6,878 |280 |7,324
Letter from R. N. Edwards to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 26 October 1995:
staff numbers and costs at the chessington computer centre --
I refer to your enquiry to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster regarding staff numbers and their cost for the financial years 1994 95 and 1995 96.
As the detail of staff numbers and cost by grade is not readily available and a disproportionate cost would be involved in collecting the data the response is limited to providing aggregate numbers and costs for the two financial years. The figures are as follows:-
|Average No. of
|(full-time
|equivalent)
Year |staff in post |Annual cost £
------------------------------------------------------------
1994-95 |395.5 |8,484,447
1995-96 |385 |8,519,620
The estimate for 1995 96 is based on actuals as at the end of October 95 and planned staff in post figures for the remainder of the year.
Letter from Kim Bright to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 26 October 1995:
"To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list by grade the numbers of staff and their cost for (a) financial year 1994/95 and (b) the estimated figures for the year 1995/96 for each executive agency for which he is responsible. "
(a.) As at 31 March 1995
|Staff
--------------------------------
Grade 3 |1
Grade 5 |1
Grade 6 |3
Grade 7 |13.5
Senior Psychologist |1
Higher Psychologist |4
SEO |6
HEO |7
EO |24
AO |38
AA |14
SPS |1
PS |1.5
Typist |6
SM3 |1
SGI |3
SGII |8.5
Total |133.5
Cost £2.328 million.
(b) Approximately 135 staff
Cost £2,833 million.
Letter from Mike Devereau to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 31 October 1995:
staff numbers and costs
You asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster for information on the number and cost of staff, by grade, for the last and current financial years.
As this is an operational matter I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Central Office of Information.
At 31 March 1995 there were 486.39 staff in post and at 30 September 19995 there were 452.42. A breakdown by grade is given in the attached table. Salary costs quoted include superannuation and National Insurance costs. Staff numbers in each grade include part-time staff.
I hope that this information meets your needs.
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|Total
|salary |Number |Average
1995-96 |cost |in Grade |staff cost
Grade |£ |£
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chief Executive |71,715 |1.00 |71,715
Grade 5 |248,785 |4.00 |62,196
Grade 6 |671,484 |13.00 |51,653
Grade 7 |1,233,043 |30.65 |40,230
Supervisory Engineer
(SIO) |0 |0.00 |0
Senior Executive Officer |397,546 |12.00 |33,129
Senior Information Officer |3,271,929 |103.81 |31,518
Senior Engineer (IO) |0 |0.00 |0
Engineer (IO) |0 |0.00 |0
Higher Executive Officer |515,014 |19.00 |27,106
Information Officer |2,418,583 |95.30 |25,379
Librarian |26,539 |1.00 |26,539
Assistant Information
Officer |209,158 |11.00 |19,014
Executive Officer |828,970 |41.00 |20,219
Personal Secretary |202,019 |11.00 |18,365
Vaultkeeper |0 |0.00 |0
Assistant Librarian |22,723 |1.00 |22,723
Support Manager 3 |35,594 |2.00 |17,797
Typist |118,421 |7.00 |16,917
Administrative Officer |1,209,726 |72.66 |16,649
Support Grade; Band 1 |90,270 |6.00 |15,045
Support Grade: Band 2 |174,979 |14.00 |12,498
Administrative Assistant |65,347 |7.00 |9,335
Total |11,811,845|452.42
|Total
|salary |Number |Average
1994-95 |cost |in Grade |staff cost
Grade |£ |£
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chief Executive |71,984 |1.00 |71,984
Grade 5 |247,713 |4.00 |61,928
Grade 6 |677,885 |13.00 |52,145
Grade 7 |1,203,404 |29.65 |40,587
Supervisory Engineer (SIO) |38,569 |1.00 |38,569
Senior Executive Officer |364,874 |12.50 |29,190
Senior Information Officer |3,443,567 |112.82 |30,523
Senior Engineer (IO) |54,057 |2.00 |27,028
Engineer (IO) |145,055 |6.00 |24,176
Higher Executive Officer |515,732 |20.00 |25,787
Information Officer |2,370,873 |99.92 |23,728
Librarian |25,957 |1.00 |25,957
Assistant Information
Officer |245,240 |12.00 |20,437
Executive Officer |886,623 |44.00 |20,151
Personal Secretary |220,063 |13.00 |16,928
Vaultkeeper |18,397 |1.00 |18,397
Assistant Librarian |22,013 |1.00 |22,013
Support Manager 3 |34,478 |2.00 |17,239
Typist |128,821 |8.00 |16,103
Administrative Officer |1,185,717 |75.00 |15,810
Support Grade; Band 1 |87,047 |6.00 |14,508
Support Grade: Band 2 |193,923 |14.50 |13,374
Administrative Assistant |70,734 |7.00 |10,105
Total |12,252,726|486.39
Departmental Costs
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what is his estimate of the total costs of running his office since his appointment, broken down between (a) establishment costs, (b) equipment costs, (c)
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refurbishment costs, (d) running costs, (e) entertainment costs, (f) stationery costs, (g) rental costs and (h) other costs. [39647]The Deputy Prime Minister: Expenditure directly incurred in the running of my office during July, August and September 1995 was as follows:
|£
-------------------------------------------
(a) Establishment costs<1> |86,360
(b) Equipment costs |19,860
(c) Refurbishment costs |0
(d) Running costs<2> |8,940
(e) Entertainment costs |0
(f) Stationery costs |6,100
(g) Rental costs |<3>-
(h) Other costs |<3>-
Total |121,260
<1> Direct staff costs.
<2> Running costs not covered by
categories (a), (e) and (f) , principally
transport.
<3> Rental and other costs (e.g light and
heating) are incurred within the costs of
the office as a whole and cannot be
separately identified.
Ministerial Information Systems
Ms Hodge: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral answer, Official Report , column 823, what sums have been spent on introducing the computerised interdepartmental desk diary system. [40004]
The Deputy Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) on 30 October 1995, Official Report , column 6 .
Bankruptcy Petitions
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many petitions for bankruptcy have been begun by his Department for businesses with under 500 employees in each of the last five years. [40530]
Late Payment (Small Businesses)
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how often his Department and each agency within it has failed to pay invoices due to small businesses within 30 days in each of the last five years. [40529]
Mr. Horam: The information is not available in the form requested. The Department's performance in respect of the payment of invoices from its suppliers is published in the annual department report, Cm 2820.
Salaries
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the (a) lowest and (b) highest full-time salary paid to any employee in his (i) Department, (ii) agencies and (iii) non-departmental public bodies in (1) 1994 95 and (2) 1995 96. [40843]
Mr. Horam: I am also answering on behalf of the Prime Minister.
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It is the Government's normal policy to publish civil servants' salaries in bands. Accordingly, the lowest full- time salary fell within the band.
0
|1994-95 |1995-96
|£ |£
------------------------------------------------
(i) |5,000-9,999|5,000-9,999
(ii) |5,000-9,999|5,000-9,999
(iii)<1> |0-4,999 |0-4,999
<1> Information refers to the research councils
sponsored by the Office of Science and
Technology which transferred to the Department
of Trade and Industry on 5 July 1995.
The highest full-time salary fell within the band.
|1994-95 |1995-96
|£ |£
----------------------------------------------------------------
(i) |115,000-119,999|120,000-124,999
(ii) |70,000-74,999 |65,000-69,999
(iii)<1> |100,000-104,999|100,000-104,999
<1>Information refers to the research councils sponsored by the
Office of Science and Technology which transferred to the
Department of Trade and Industry on 5 July 1995.
Annual Remuneration
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many individuals in (a) his Department, (b) agencies and (c) non- departmental public bodies received annual remuneration including benefits in kind exceeding (i) £100,000, (ii) £200,000 and (iii) £300,000 in each year since 1985 86. [40842]
Mr. Horam: I am also answering on behalf of the Prime Minister. Other than pension contributions, benefits in kind are not normally paid to staff in the Department, agencies and NDPBs. As members of the principal civil service pensions scheme or equivalent, staff receive benefits in accordance with the scheme rules which have been deposited in the House of Commons Library. The numbers receiving annual remuneration above the sums specified, excluding pension benefits are as follows.
The Department has a nil return for the period 1985 to 1991 in all categories. The statistics for the remaining years are:
|1992-93|1993-94|1994-95|1995-96
------------------------------------------------
(i) |1 |1 |1 |1
(ii) |Nil |Nil |Nil |Nil
(iii) |Nil |Nil |Nil |Nil
The executive agencies for which my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has responsibility all have a nil return for the period 1985 86 to 1995 96 in all categories. The NDPBs have a nil return for the period 1985 86 to 1993 94.
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|1994-95|1995-96
--------------------------------
(i) |1 |1
(ii) |Nil |Nil
(iii) |Nil |Nil
<1>Information refers to the
research councils sponsored by
the Office of Science and
Technology which transferred to
the Department of Trade and
Industry on 5 July 1995.
DEFENCE
Late Payment (Small Businesses)
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how often his Department and each agency within it has failed to pay invoices due to small businesses within 30 days in each of the last five years. [40531]
Mr. Arbuthnot: The payment of the vast majority of the Department's bills and those of its agencies is a matter for the chief executive of the Defence Accounts Agency. The Defence Evaluation and Research Agency is responsible for paying its own bills. I have asked the chief executives of these agencies to reply. Letter from Peter Trevelyan to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 1 November 1995:
You asked the Secretary of State for Defence how often his Department and each Agency within it has failed to pay invoices due to small businesses within 30 days in each of the last 5 years. As Chief Executive of the Defence Accounts Agency, responsible for paying the vast majority of MOD bills, I have been asked to reply. I understand MOD Agencies which pay their own bills will reply separately.
The statistics which are readily available to the MOD payment office at Liverpool go back two and a half years. During this time 99.99% of bills have been paid within 30 days of receipt. Some low value bills are paid locally throughout MOD, but information about these is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Letter from John Chisholm to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 1 November 1995:
1. You asked the Secretary of State for Defence how often his Department and each agency within it has failed to pay invoices due to small businesses within 30 days in each of the last 5 years. I am replying for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, formerly the Defence Research Agency.
2. Assuming that the 30 day period is measured from the point at which a validated invoice is passed to our bill paying section for action, then virtually all bills are settled within 9 days. We make no distinction in this process between small and large businesses.
Defence Expenditure (NATO Countries)
Mr. David Nicholson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of gross national product is spent on defence in each of the members of NATO. [40704]
Mr. Soames: The information requested is contained in the "Statement of Defence Estimates 1995", page 82, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
Military Hospitals
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates the military hospitals at (a) Aldershot, (b)
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Woolwich, (c) Wroughton and (d ) Halton close; and on what date the (i) Royal Naval hospital Stonehouse and (ii) RAF Hospital, Ely will close. [40759]Mr. Soames: The service hospitals at Aldershot, Halton and Wroughton will close by April 1996. The sale of the Queen Elizabeth military hospital, Woolwich to the NHS took place on 30 August this year. The hospitals at Stonehouse, Plymouth, and Ely closed in March this year and in 1992 respectively.
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many national health service patients have been treated as in-patients at (a) the Cambridge military hospital, Aldershot, and (b) the RAF Wroughton hospital, near Swindon, in each year since 1991 92 and in 1995 96 to date; and how much was paid by NHS purchasing authorities to each of these military hospitals in each of those years. [40758]
Mr. Soames: The figures are as follows:
|CMH Aldershot |PARAFH Wroughton
--------------------------------------------------------------------
1991-92 |5,980 |2,218
1992-93 |6,248 |2,293
1993-94 |8,345 |2,486
1994-95 |5,744 |2,366
1995-96<1> |1,386 |544
<1>As at 1 October 1995.
These patient numbers were contained within the required training margin for military medical personnel and therefore were treated at no cost to health care purchasers.
French Nuclear Tests
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information or data Her Majesty's Government have received from French nuclear tests conducted at (a) Reganne in 1965 66, (b) Mururoa in 1966 to the present, (c) Fangataufa since 1966 in regard to Euratom treaty, articles 34 or 35. [40593]
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will place in the Library copies of all memoranda of understanding signed with France in regard to co-operation on nuclear weapons since 1965. [40591]
(2) what technical data or other information his Department has received from France on the parameters, reasons for and outcome of French nuclear tests conducted this year as part of existing nuclear co-operation agreements with France; [40592]
Mr. Arbuthnot: I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Truro (Mr. Taylor) on 24 October 1995, Official Report , column 587 .
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