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Food Industry
23. Mr. John Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures have bene taken by his Department to encourage further development of the food industry in Wales. [31670]
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Mr. Hague: My Department administers a number of grant schemes aimed at developing the food industry. In addition, I announced in the White paper "A Working Countryside for Wales" my intention to develop a food strategy for Wales, which I will launch at the Royal Welsh show in July.
Higher Education
24. Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many students in Wales are currently in higher education institutions; what was the figure in May 1979; and if he will make a statement. [31671]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: The information requested may be found in the following table:
| 1979-80 | 1994-95(10) | |
|---|---|---|
| Further and higher education institutions (including colleges of the University of Wales(11) | 33,769 | 79,323 |
| Open university(12) | n/a | 4,441 |
| Total | 33,769 | 83,794 |
Notes:
(10) Provisional.
(11) At November or December each year depending on source.
(12) At February each year. Data not available for 1979-80.
Source:
Universities Statistical Record, Open University, Higher Education Statistics Agency and Welsh Office.
Cattle Slaughter Scheme
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will compensate Welsh farmers for the increased transport costs arising from the lack of Welsh abattoirs participating in the 30-month slaughter scheme. [30704]
Mr. Hague: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Ynys Mon (Mr. Jones) on 16 May 1996, Official Report, columns 544-45.
Ministerial Working Hours (Wales)
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list, by month for the last six months, the number of working hours he has spent in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [30740]
Mr. Hague: Since taking office I have divided my working time approximately equally between Wales and London.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 26 March, Official Report, column 521, how much his Department estimated it would have cost to provide the information requested. [31458]
Mr. Hague: More than £450, the current threshold above which answers are deemed to incur disproportionate cost.
Recruitment
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales in what circumstances his Department or its executive agencies uses an executive search agency or employment
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agency to recruit staff in preference to using personnel staff within his own Department or its executive agencies.[31522]
Mr. Hague: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 11 June, Official Report, columns 83-84.
Promotion (Women)
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures his Department has implemented during the last 12 months to encourage the promotion of women into senior positions within his Department and its executive agencies; and what progress his Department has made in encouraging the promotion of women over the last five years. [31542]
Mr. Hague: During the last 12 months my Department has held development training for senior women and a series of seminars on specific equal opportunities topics for all senior officers. This training is open to staff in the executive agency Cadw.
My Department has been a member of Opportunity 2000 since 1992 and actively supports its aims.
Over the last five years, the proportion of women in the senior civil service, grades 1 to 5, has risen from 15 per cent. at 1 January 1992 to 22 per cent. at 1 April 1996.
Mr. Donohoe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list (a) the customer charters which are currently in use within his Department and its executive agencies and (b) the charters which have been withdrawn. [32833]
Mr. Hague:
My Department has published charters for patients, parents, council house tenants, for further education and higher education, and a charter standard for farmers. A charter guide to the planning system has been published jointly with the Department of the Environment and the National Planning Forum. In addition, a charter standard for visitors has been produced by Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments. No charters have been withdrawn.
Mr. Dafis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 30 April, Official Report, column 491, to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy if he will now publish details of the number and location of sites for travelling people for each county and district area and for Wales as a whole; and if he will make a statement. [32458]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
The information has already been placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Dafis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the mineral sites on the first lists of sites prepared by mineral planning authorities in compliance with mineral planning guidance note 14 where the sites are wholly or partly within sites of special scientific interest and indicating the relevant sites of special scientific interest. [32765]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
This information is not collected centrally.
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Mr. Alex Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has for the reorganisation of ambulance trusts in Wales; what public access there is to the plans; what are the main proposals; and if he will make a statement. [32766]
Mr. Hague:
None. I would expect any proposals for trust reconfigurations to come from the boards themselves with the full support of their commissioning authorities. If such proposals are received, the application document would be subject to public consultation and a copy placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to amalgamate ambulance services in Powys with Powys NHS Healthcare trust; and if he will make a statement. [32767]
Mr. Hague:
None. These are operational matters for the NHS.
Mr. Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to close ambulance stations in powys; and if he will make a statement. [32768]
Mr. Hague:
None. This is an operational matter for the South and East Wales Ambulance NHS trust.
Mr. Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on proposals to reduce operational manning levels by the South and East Wales Ambulance trust. [32769]
Mr. Hague:
This is an operational matter for the board of trust which will be discussed with the Department in the context of the 1996-97 operational plan.
Mr. Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the financial situation of the South and East Wales Ambulance trust. [32770]
Mr. Hague:
All NHS trusts in Wales publish their annual report and accounts in September each year. My officials have had a number of discussions with the chairman about the work he is doing to put the trust on a firm financial footing. The trust will continue to provide monthly financial progress reports to the Department as part of the regular monitoring process.
Mr. Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total amount spent on consultancy fees by the South and East Wales Ambulance trust for the last two financial years for which figures are available. [32771]
Mr. Hague:
Expenditure by the trust on external contract staffing and consultancy services is shown in its audited accounts for the following years as:
The audited accounts for 1995-96 are not yet available.
1993-94: £ Nil
1994-95: £123,000
Robert Powell (Medical Treatment)
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 15 May, Official Report, column 470, if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the inquiry into the keeping of the general practitioner records pertaining to the appeal concerning the medical treatment of Robert Powell; and what plans he has to
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make changes to the rules governing the holding of general practitioner records which are the subject of official action under NHS procedures. [33091]
Mr. Hague: I refer the hon. Member to my letter of 10 June, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 15 May, Official Report, column 470, what representations he has received from the family of the late Robert Powell or their legal representatives concerning ministerial meetings with the general practitioners of the late Robert Powell. [33089]
Mr. Hague: I have received a letter from Mr. Powell's solicitors which raises the issue. During his time as a Welsh Office Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Clwyd, North-West (Mr. Richards) was not involved with the case because he was acquainted with some of the individuals concerned.
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