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Irish Steel Ltd.

Mr. Hardy: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action he will take with regard to the approval of the European Commission of state aid (a) before and (b) after the purchase of Irish Steel Ltd. by a foreign company. [2382]

27 Nov 1995 : Column: 434

Mr. Eggar: The European Commission's proposal to allow exceptional state aid for Irish Steel is subject to the unanimous approval of EU member states. The United Kingdom will not give its assent unless conditions are attached that will mitigate the adverse effects of the aid on the UK steel industry. The UK will ensure that the aid, if approved, is strictly monitored to ensure compliance with the agreed conditions.

Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema

Mr. Clapham: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the total number of miners and former miners made an award for PD12D chronic bronchitis and emphysema, since September, broken down for each region. [1403]

Mr. Roger Evans: I have been asked to reply.

The information is not available in the format requested. The available information is set out in the tables:

Total number of PD 12D awards from October 1994 to September 1995 inclusive, analysed by Benefits Agency Area Directorate Table 1

Southern England (by Benefits Agency Area Directorate)	Awards
AD1 Anglia	Nil
AD2 Chilterns	Nil
AD3 South London and West Sussex	Nil
AD4 West Country	3
AD5 East London and Essex	1
AD6 South East	1
AD7 Wessex	Nil
Total	5

Table 2

Wales and Central England	Awards
AD1 East Midlands	100
AD2 Midlands	1
AD3 West Mercia	21
AD4 Wales	147
AD5 Merseyside	Nil
AD6 Greater Manchester	1
AD7 Lancashire and Cumbria	12
Total	282

Table 3

Scotland and Northern England	Awards
AD1 Tyne Tees	49
AD2 South Yorkshire and Humberside	65
AD3 North and West Yorkshire	26
AD4 Glasgow and Paisley	Nil
AD5 North, Central and West Scotland	4
AD6 East Scotland	9
Total	153

27 Nov 1995 : Column: 435

Table 4

	Awards
Grand total	440

Note: Includes 12 awards resulting from aggregation. Source: Benefits Agency central data unit 100 per cent. count, subject to amendment.

Mr. Clapham: To ask the President of the Board of Trade of those miners and former miners rejected for an award under the PD12D regulations, how many were refused on grounds of (a) X-ray evidence, (b) FEV test and (c) employment period, broken down for each region. [1404]

Mr. Evans: I have been asked to reply.

The available information is set out in the tables:

Claims for chronic bronchitis and emphysema (PD 12D) refused from October 1994 to September 1995, analysed by reason for refusal and by Benefits Agency Area Directorate Table 1

Southern England	X-ray	FEV1	20 year rule
AD1 Anglia	2	Nil	2
AD2 Chilterns	1	Nil	Nil
AD3 South London and West Sussex	Nil	Nil	Nil
AD4 West Country	4	5	1
AD5 East London and Essex	Nil	1	3
AD6 South East	9	20	7
AD7 Wessex	Nil	Nil	Nil
Total	16	26	13

Table 2

Wales and Central England	X-ray	FEV1	20 year rule
AD1 East Midlands	169	188	24
AD2 Midlands and South
West
	6
	3
	4
AD3 West Mercia	57	68	18
AD4 Wales	287	424	71
AD5 Merseyside	12	13	10
AD6 Greater Manchester	1	3	3
AD7 Lancashire and
Cumbria
	30
	48
	14
Total	562	747	144

Table 3

Scotland and Northern England	X-ray	FEV1	20 year rule
AD1 Tyne Tees	105	138	10
AD2 South Yorkshire and
Humberside
	191
	202
	21
AD3 North and West
Yorkshire
	48
	89
	12
AD4 Glasgow and Paisley	13	9	1
AD5 North, Central and
West Scotland
	13
	30
	9
AD6 East Scotland	44	25	3
Total	414	493	56

27 Nov 1995 : Column: 436

Table 4

	X-ray	FEV1	20 year rule
Grand total	992	1,266	213

Source: Benefits Agency central data unit. 100 per cent. count, subject to amendment.

Asbestosis

Mr. Clapham: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many miners and former miners have been diagnosed to be suffering from asbestosis for which an award has been made in the last 10 years broken down by region. [1173]

Mr. Evans: I have been asked to reply.

The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

Cable Broadcasting

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) if she will make it her policy to accelerate the introduction of digital terrestrial broadcasting in those rural and semi-rural areas which are not cabled; [2591]

(2) by what date digital terrestrial broadcasting is to reach 95 per cent. of the population of England. [2590]

Mr. Sproat: The Broadcasting Bill, announced in Her Majesty's Gracious Speech, will provide the legislative framework for the introduction of digital terrestrial television services. The Government propose that those who wish to provide these services be required to meet targets, set by the Independent Television Commission, for making them available by a specific time to a specified proportion of the population. The precise potential coverage of the available digital frequencies, and the speed and pattern of the introduction of services on them, will vary, and it is not possible as yet to predict the outcome of the licensing process the Bill will propose to introduce.

Satellite Broadcasting

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will make a statement on the future responsibilities of the ITC in respect of satellite broadcasters promoting television services in the United Kingdom which offend against public decency, following proposed United Kingdom and EC legislation. [158]

Mr. Sproat: The Government have no plans to change the ITC's responsibilities in this area.

Culture Council

Mr. Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will make a statement on the outcome of the Culture Council, held on 20 November, giving details of all votes and all decisions which were determined by unanimity or without dissension. [1598]

27 Nov 1995 : Column: 437

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Colchester, South and Maldon (Mr. Whittingdale) on 23 November Official Report, column 285-6.

Legislative Repeals

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what legislation from her Department passed in the last five years contains provision for statutory repeal or review. [2040]

Mr. Sproat: My Department, since its inception in 1992, has introduced no legislation containing provision for statutory repeal or review.

BBC Charter and Agreement

Mr. Robert Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when the BBC's new charter and agreement will be published. [3161]

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley: I have today placed in the Library of the House drafts of the BBC's new charter and the agreement between me and the corporation. The House will have an opportunity to consider these documents in the near future. The BBC's transmission services will be privatised. The BBC will retain the proceeds of sale related to licence fee funded transmission facilities.

The future costs of transmission will be regulated to ensure that the BBC does not pay more for the services that it currently needs and benefits from any productivity savings. This is good news for licence fee payers.

The BBC has welcomed these arrangements and said that it will invest the proceeds of sale within the BBC on digital production technology so that it is well placed to reap the benefits of digital broadcasting.

I look forward to a secure long-term future for the BBC's public services within the framework of the proposed new charter and agreement.

BBC

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) what action her Department is currently taking in relation to the production of proposals for the future of the BBC's transmission services; [1744]

(2) when she first anticipated being able to make an announcement on the future of the BBC's transmission services; and what factors underlay the delay in making this statement; [1711]

(3) when her Department expects to be able to make an announcement on the future of the BBC's transmission services; [1713]

(4) what factors underlay the separate timings for (a) her announcements on the future of the BBC's transmission services and (b) the publication of her Department's guidance on digital terrestrial broadcasting. [1745]

Mr. Sproat [holding answer 23 November 1995]: As indicated in my answer to the hon. Member for Nuneaton (Mr. Olner) on 20 November Official Report, column 44 we will announce our decision on the future of the BBC transmission services shortly. It was always our intention

27 Nov 1995 : Column: 438

to announce our decision once we had fully explored with the BBC possible options for the future of its transmission services, taking account of the development of its plans for digital broadcasting. The policy document, "Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting", Cm 2946, was published in August to provide an opportunity for comment on the Government's proposals in order to inform the preparation of the Broadcasting Bill announced in the Gracious Speech.

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