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Departmental Expenditure (Waveney)
Mr. David Porter: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total expenditure by his Department in Waveney in 1994-95; what it will be in 1995-96, broken down by category; and if he will make a statement. [17841]
Mr. Burt: The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Lone Mothers
Ms Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many lone mothers were in receipt of family credit in each year since 1994. [18250]
Mr. Roger Evans: There were 235,000 lone mothers receiving family credit in July 1994 and 266,000 in July 1995, the latest date for which figures are available.
Source: Family Credit Statistics Quarterly Enquiry July 1994 and July 1995.
Pension Rights (Divorce)
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what research his Department has commissioned on international comparisons of the treatment of pension rights on divorce; if he will set out the terms of reference of the project, the names of the researchers, the period of study and the estimated cost; what is the present status of the research; and when he expects to publish a report on the findings. [17591]
Mr. Heald: In September 1995, the Department commissioned Watson Wyatt, actuaries and consultants to carry out an International Comparison of the treatment of pension rights on divorce. Using local consultants in each country and drawing upon available literature, this work will provide comprehensive information on how pension rights are treated on divorce in nine countries: Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, the USA, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Sweden. Work is currently in progress and the first draft report is expected in the Department at the end of March 1996. A final draft report should be available by the summer. Decisions on publication will be taken when the final draft is received. The cost of this research is £81,000.
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Residential Care
Mr. MacGregor: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the cost of excluding the family home from calculation of means for the purpose of determining liability to pay for nursing home and other residential long-term care.
Mr. Bowis: I have been asked to reply.
No detailed estimates have been made. To raise the upper capital limit used by local authorities when charging for residential care to the value of the average house would, we broadly estimate, cost some half a billion pounds. This is based on the current number of people who pay the total cost of such care; it takes no account of variation in usage which could result from such a change.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Common Agricultural Policy
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans his Department has to implement the MacSharry proposals to modulate the common agricultural policy, with specific regard to (a) a taper on milk support and (b) restructuring of the hill livestock compensation allowance; and if he will make a statement. [18604]
Mr. Baldry: The Commission's proposals to modulate CAP payments were rejected by the Agriculture Council when it agreed to reform the CAP in May 1992.
Mr. Dafis: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the active ingredients used in the dispersant used on the oil spill at Milford Haven in February. [17979]
Mr. Baldry: The dispersants used on oil spilt from the Sea Empress at Milford Haven contained the following ingredients:
Butyl glycol
Dioctyl sodium sulphosucinate
Ethoxylated fish oil
Ethoxylated sorbitan tri-tallate
Ethoxylated tall oil
Iso octanol
Odourless kerosene
Paraffin solvent
Polyethylene glycol fatty acid ester
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Propylene glycol
Sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate propylene glycol
Sorbitan monooleate
Sorbitan monooleate ethoxylate
Tall oil
Water.
NORTHERN IRELAND
National Continence Day
Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to support National Continence Day on 19 March; and what plans he has to improve the incontinence service in Northern Ireland in 1996-97. [17140]
Mr. Moss: The Department of Health and Social Services will be funding a freephone helpline and arranging publicity for National Continence Day. In addition, continence advisers will be manning stands at shopping and health centres throughout Northern Ireland. A report will also be issued making recommendations for developments in continence services in 1996-97 and beyond.
Restraint and Confiscation Orders
Mr. Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many restraint and confiscation orders have been obtained in each of the last three years; and for what amounts. [17148]
Sir John Wheeler: Restraint orders for the confiscation of the proceeds of drug trafficking and other crime are made under the Criminal Justice (Confiscation) (Northern Ireland) Order 1990. Details for the last three years are as follows:
| Year | Number of confiscation orders | Total value £ | Number of restraint orders |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | nil | nil | 2 |
| 1994 | 2 | 5,083.89 | 1 |
| 1995 | 39 | 28,106.39 | 3 |
Values for a restraint order cannot be accurately given since these are made against a person to prohibit him from dealing with property rather than for a specific amount.
Arts Council
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the level of co-operation between the Northern Ireland Arts Council and the arts council in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) the Irish Republic; and what plans there are to enhance co-operation and promote more jointly funded projects. [17096]
Mr. Ancram: The chairmen and chief executives of the four Arts Councils in the United Kingdom meet from time to time to consider matters of common interest. Close co-operation has also evolved between the four
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councils in relation to their function as distributing bodies for the proceeds of the national lottery, with regular meetings at official level.
The chief executives of the Arts Councils in Northern Ireland, in the Republic of Ireland, in Scotland and in Wales meet annually to exchange information and ideas. Officers of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland are in frequent contact with officers of all four of the other Arts Councils about areas of mutual interest and individual projects which extend to more than one territory.
The Arts Councils of Northern Ireland and of the Republic of Ireland have held annual joint meetings since the mid-1970s at which areas of co-operation are explored. In 1994, the two councils established a joint committee, with four representatives from each council, which meets twice a year to explore and develop a variety of further cross-border initiatives with particular emphasis on the involvement of youth. The two Arts Councils already jointly fund a number of all-Ireland activities and organisations, and have agreed to make joint appointments of staff as and when necessary. They currently jointly employ an arts co-operation officer to encourage north/south co-operation and co-ordinate touring arts events in both territories.
Mr. Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many times the chairman of the Northern Ireland Arts Council met the chairmen of the arts councils in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) the Irish Republic in 1995. [17097]
Mr. Ancram:
The chairman of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland met his Scottish, English and Welsh counterparts on one occasion in 1995 while he had three meetings with the chairman of the Arts Council of the Republic of Ireland.
In addition to the above, the vice-chairman of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland substituted for the chairman at one meeting with the chairmen of the Scottish, the English and the Welsh councils.
Mr. Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what projects were jointly funded between the Northern Ireland Arts Council and the arts council in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) the Irish Republic in 1995; and at what cost. [17098]
Mr. Ancram:
In 1995, the four UK Arts Councils and the Arts Council in the Republic of Ireland funded a five cities tour of poetry readings. The cost to the Arts Council of England was £22,000, with the other four councils contributing £1,000 each.
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