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Equal Treatment Directive
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department has implemented article 7 of the equal treatment directive. [11328]
Industrial Tribunal Orders
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what occasions he has failed to comply with orders from industrial tribunals within the time prescribed by the industrial tribunal. [11330]
Mr. Soames: The information requested is not held centrally, but it is my Department's practice to comply wherever possible with all such orders, once they have been received.
Ministerial Visits (Kuwait)
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last visited Kuwait; what issues were discussed; when the visit was arranged; and if he will make a statement. [11322]
Mr. Portillo: I had been planning to visit Kuwait for some time and was able to do so at short notice on 13 January. I discussed a range of bilateral issues, including regional security, defence co-operation and the supply of defence equipment.
Conventionally Armed Stand-off Missile
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the desirability of a merger of British and American projects to meet a requirement for a conventionally armed stand-off missile. [11321]
Mr. Arbuthnot: There have been discussions with several countries with a similar requirement to our own for a conventionally armed stand-off missile to assess the potential for co-operation. The outcome of these discussions will be taken into account during our assessment.
Portland Naval Base
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department is involved in the search for ordnance within the waters of the former Portland naval base; and if he will make a statement. [11323]
Mr. Soames:
In anticipation of the closure of the naval base on 31 March 1996. Portland harbour is being searched for the purpose of safely removing any ordnance
23 Jan 1996 : Column: 140
which may exist. This is in accordance with MOD policy to clear surplus sites of ordnance before disposal. The Royal Navy is clearing the harbour floor and an area outside the harbour in areas deeper than 10 m. A MOD-approved specialist contract diving company is clearing areas inside the harbour of less than 10 m depth up to the shoreline. Only a small quantity of live but stable ordnance has been found and is being safely disposed of by Navy ordnance disposal specialists.
Dr. David Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with his French and German counterparts concerning British participation in the Franco-German armaments agency. [10497]
Mr. Arbuthnot
[holding answer 22 January 1996]: The Secretary of State met his German counterpart on 27 November 1995, and his French counterpart on 30 October 1995, on which occasions helpful discussions took place with regard to possible UK participation in the Franco-German armaments agency. Also I met my German counterpart on 18 January 1996 and had constructive discussion on this issue.
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made as to the number of asylum seekers who are abusing their position in the United Kingdom. [11136]
The Prime Minister: The level of abuse of the asylum procedures is very high. Last year only 5 per cent. of asylum applicants were granted refugee status under the 1951 United Nations convention on refugees and 79 per cent. of applicants were refused outright. The great majority of Home Office asylum decisions are upheld on appeal by independent adjudicators; last year, only 3 per cent. of such appeals were allowed. The Government are taking measures across a broad front to deter abusive asylum claims and to strengthen the procedures for determining applications.
Opposition Policies
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister what arrangements have been made for the retention of assessments drawn up of Opposition policies in advance of general elections; and what facilities for the public inspection of these records are available. [10982]
The Prime Minister
[holding answer 22 January 1996]: Departments are asked from time to time, under Governments of any party, to provide factual costings of the policies of the Opposition. Such costings form part of departmental files and are not subject to any special access arrangements.
23 Jan 1996 : Column: 141
Dr. Wright:
To ask the Prime Minister who are the members of the Political Honours Scrutiny Committee; when they were appointed and by whom; and what is the term of their appointment. [11100]
The Prime Minister:
The current members, my right hon. and noble Friend Lord Pym, the right hon. Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos and the right hon. Lord Thomson of Monifieth, were appointed by Order in Council on 9 November 1992. They were appointed on my advice following consultations with the right hon. Members for Sedgefield (Mr. Blair) and for Yeovil (Mr. Ashdown). The Order in Council provides that the committee is appointed for the duration of office of the present Government.
Mr. Wigley:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will require the 2001 census to ascertain proficiency in (a) all indigenous languages of the United Kingdom and (b) in major European Community languages. [8783]
The Prime Minister:
No final proposals will be made until 1998 in the light of cases made for all potential questions. However, little need has been stated for information from the census on proficiency in European Community languages and it seems unlikely that there will be a question about this. Some needs have been expressed for extensions to the questions on indigenous languages asked in Wales and Scotland in the 1991 census, and these are being considered.
Mr. Wigley:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will require the 2001 census to ascertain the extent of proficiency in the Welsh language in all nations of the United Kingdom. [8784]
The Prime Minister:
The matter is under consideration. No final proposals will be made until 1998 in the light of the cases made for all potential questions.
Mr. Wigley:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will establish an office in Wales to oversee the conduct of the 2001 census. [8785]
The Prime Minister:
By statute it is the duty of the Registrar General to make the arrangements for taking the census throughout England and Wales. The Registrar General is, and will be, working closely with the Welsh Office in planning and co-ordinating the proposed 2001 census.
Mr. Wigley:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will require the 2001 census forms in Wales to be published in a bilingual Welsh-English form. [8786]
The Prime Minister:
In the 1991 census in Wales, bilingual English-Welsh publicity material was distributed and the census form itself was available in Welsh as well as in English. The acceptability, effectiveness and practicability of a bilingual census form are under consideration.
23 Jan 1996 : Column: 142
Mr. Kirkwood:
To ask the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government have yet decided the future of HMY Britannia after decommissioning in 1997; whether any replacement vessel is to be acquired; and if he will make a statement. [9305]
The Prime Minister:
A number of suggestions have been made about the future of HMY Britannia and these are being considered. The Government are also considering the question of whether to replace Britannia. An announcement will be made in due course.
Mr. Harry Greenway:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 23 January. [9471]
The Prime Minister:
This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.
Mr. Redmond:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action heads of his Department's executive agencies are taking to safeguard the provisions of pre-retirement courses in the event of such agencies seeking to make economies; and if he will make a statement. [9138]
Mr. John M. Taylor:
The chief executives of the following executive agencies will respond direct to the hon. Member--Companies House, the Insolvency Service, the Laboratory of the Government Chemist, the National Weights and Measures Laboratory, the Patent Office and the Radiocommunications Agency.
Letter from P. R. S. Hartnack to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 23 January 1996:
The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to respond to your Parliamentary Question.
23 Jan 1996 : Column: 143
Letter from Jim Norton to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 23 January 1996:
I am replying in relation to the Patent Office to your Parliamentary Question to the President of the Board of Trade about pre-retirement courses. The Personnel Section of the Patent Office runs such courses for staff who are about to retire and I can confirm that we will continue to provide them for our staff in the future.
Letter from Peter Joyce to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 23 January 1996:
I can confirm that the Radiocommunications Agency will continue to provide appropriate training to help those staff that are preparing for retirement.
The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply to your question about the action being taken to safeguard the provision of pre-retirement courses.
The Insolvency Service currently uses the courses run by the Department of Trade and Industry's Personnel Training Services Consortium. About a year before expected retirement the individual members of staff are invited to attend a course: The Service pays for the individual and his/her partner to attend.
The Service expects to continue the provision of such courses.
Letter from Seton Bennett to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 23 January 1996:
Letter from R. D. Worswick to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 12 January 1996:
The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory to your question about the provision of pre-retirement courses.
There are no changes planned and this Agency will continue to provide pre-retirement courses.
Letter from David Durham to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 23 January 1996:
I have been asked to answer with respect to the Laboratory of the Government Chemist your question to the President of the Board of Trade number 9138 asking what action heads of executive agencies are taking to safeguard the provision of pre-retirement courses in the event of such agencies seeking to make economies.
The Laboratory of the Government Chemist continues to operate a policy of offering staff approaching retirement age the opportunity to attend a pre-retirement course.
You have recently tabled a written Parliamentary Question asking what action the Department of Trade and Industry's Executive Agencies are taking to safeguard the provision of pre-retirement courses. I have been asked to reply as Chief Executive of Companies House Executive Agency.
Companies House initiated its own programme of pre-retirement courses in March 1990; prior to this the service was provided by the Department's Training Division. An invitation to attend the training is issued to every member of staff and their partner across all sites twelve months before they reach the age of 60. This invitation is also extended to any member of staff who takes up the option of early retirement.
The course is a two day event. It is delivered by local external speakers who tailor their material on the financial, social and personal aspects of retirement to the needs of the course members. So far 92 staff have attended the training. We will continue to provide this service as part of our commitment to the welfare of our staff.
This reply also takes account of your amended question.
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