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Research Establishments
Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which former public sector research establishments in his Department have been privatised since 1979; and which public sector research establishments in his Department are currently undergoing reviews with a view to placing them in the private sector. [21936]
Mr. Willetts: There are no such research establishments in the Department and agencies for which my right hon. Friend is responsible.
Her Majesty's Stationery Office
Mr. Chris Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what contractual obligations to protect the jobs of existing employees of HMSO at its plants in Norwich, London and Oldham the prospective purchasers of the organisation will be required to meet. [22268]
Mr. Freeman: The level of HMSO staffing now, in all locations, largely depends on the amount of business it wins in competition with other suppliers. That will not change after privatisation, and I can offer no guarantees as to the future staffing levels. The hon. Member will note the recent high level of redundancies across HMSO, which reflect the need for it to streamline itself to remain competitive.
HMSO has a major presence in Norwich, and to a lesser extent elsewhere in the country. Relocation is a very expensive process, and as I made clear during the 18 March debate, Official Report, column 89, I cannot envisage circumstances in which the new owner would wish to move significant numbers of staff away from their current locations. This is especially true in locations such as Oldham, where current facilities include a large amount of specialised plant. Bidders will be required to submit their plans for the development of the business, and an assessment of their overall plans will assist us in selecting the winning bid.
However, I would not wish to pre-empt the commercial judgment of the new owner to reorganise the business in the future if circumstances dictated. That would cut across the whole purpose of the sale, which is to give the business the freedom necessary for it to prosper.
Mr. William O'Brien:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the number of charter marks which have been awarded to the Driving Standards Agency. [20692]
Mr. Willetts:
The Driving Standards Agency was awarded a charter mark in 1992. This expired in 1995.
25 Mar 1996 : Column: 449
Mr. Luff:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects to lay an order specifying the principal civil service pension scheme administration as a function which contractors may be authorised to carry out; and if he will make a statement. [22986]
Mr. Freeman:
An order under the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994 was laid today before Parliament in draft, and will be subject to affirmative resolution of both Houses.
Approval of the order by Parliament will enable Departments to market test their day-to-day administration of the principal civil service pension scheme, and associated schemes. Occupational pension arrangements for civil servants will continue to be provided through the PCSPS. Market testing of the administration function will not affect pension benefits in any way. Competition will ensure value for money and the focus on performance outputs will help to raise the quality of service to scheme members. Decisions on the timing and method of competitive tendering will be for each employing Department to take. It will be open to existing service providers, such as the Paymaster agency, to compete on a value-for-money basis. Such bids will be at full cost and will be considered rigorously. The unions will be consulted on individual market tests as they arise.
Responsibility for management of the PCSPS--and associated schemes--including setting the rules, will remain within government. This function transferred from HM Treasury to the Office of Public Service and Science on 1 April 1995. Expenditure on civil service pension benefits will continue to be met from the civil superannuation vote, responsibility for which also transferred to the Office of Public Service.
25 Mar 1996 : Column: 450
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Lord President of the Council how many persons in his Department worked in excess of 48 hours per week in any of the last 52 weeks; and what percentage of the staff employed this represents. [21510]
Mr. Newton:
Within the last 52 weeks, 10 Privy Council Office staff worked paid overtime which took their hours above 48 in a week, and two more received payments in recognition of hours worked on a similar scale. In aggregate, they constituted just over 30 per cent. of the Department's total staff. The hours worked by Ministers and senior staff not eligible for paid overtime are not recorded, nor are records kept of the hours worked in individual weeks by staff on flexible working schemes.
Mr. MacShane:
To ask the Lord President of the Council what measures his Department is taking to ensure that its contractors and suppliers (a) pay their employees a wage which ensures such employees do not need supplementary welfare payments via various state benefits and (b) meet workplace health and safety regulations; and if he will make a statement. [21468]
Mr. Newton:
Terms and conditions of employment, including wages, are a matter between the contractor or supplier and his employees, subject to any relevant legal requirements. Compliance with health and safety regulations is a legal requirement for the contractor or supplier.
25 Mar 1996 : Column: 451
Mr. Morgan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 19 March, Official Report, column 171, what were the dates of the meetings relating to the permanent home for the Welsh National Opera company; and if he will indicate the positions held by those present. [22410]
Mr. Hague:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on Friday 22 March, Official Report, column 356.
Mr. Wigley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 14 March 1996, Official Report, column 745, relating to inward investment company visits, how many of these included visits to (a) Gwynedd and (b) Dyfed. [22218]
Mr. Hague:
Of the 13 inward visits brought to Wales over the past 12 months by the Invest in Britain Bureau, one visited Dyfed.
Mr. Win Griffiths:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales to what extent the £1,100 per four-year-old child currently in school which will be withdrawn from local education authorities in April 1997 under the nursery voucher scheme is funded through the revenue support grant for local authorities. [22237]
Mr. Richards
[holding answer 22 March 1996]: I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 11 March, Official Report, column 495.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people have been deregistered from their dentist since 1992 in each health authority area; and if he will make a statement. [20890]
Mr. Richards:
From the information supplied by family health services authorities the number of patients in Wales who have been deregistered since August 1992 is as follows:
| FHSA | Adult patients | Child patients | Total patients |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clwyd | 12,363 | 145 | 12,508 |
| Dyfed | 4,585 | 14 | 4,599 |
| Gwent | 11,386 | 0 | 11,386 |
| Gwynedd | 19,928 | 0 | 19,928 |
| Mid Glamorgan | 2,142 | 0 | 2,142 |
| Powys | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| South Glamorgan | 6,565 | 59 | 6,624 |
| West Glamorgan | 44 | 0 | 44 |
| Totals | 57,013 | 218 | 57,231 |
This information was supplied for management purposes only and is not statistically validated.
25 Mar 1996 : Column: 452
These are cumulative figures and do not indicate how many of those patients subsequently registered with another dentist.
Statistics published by the Dental Practice Board indicate that, at the end of December 1995, the number of registered patients in Wales was 38,194 higher than it was at the end of June 1992.
Mr. Alex Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what the planning status of technical advice notes will be; if they will be subject to consultation; and if he will make a statement; [22052]
(3) if the technical advice notes will be released at the same time as the planning policy guidance (Wales); and if he will make a statement; [22053]
(4) what plans he has to prepare technical advice notes on nature conservation; and if he will make a statement. [22055]
Mr. Hague:
A final decision on planning policy guidance in Wales has not yet been taken, but I shall be making an announcement shortly. If I decide to go ahead with a single planning policy guidance (Wales) document it would be issued in advance of the series of technical advice notes. The intention would be to cancel the current PPG series but leave the technical guidance contained in the notes extant until the TANs were issued in their formal form.
(2) when he plans to publish the single planning policy guidance (Wales); and if he will make a statement; [22054]
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