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Child Benefit
Mr. Simon Coombs: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the benefits of providing child benefit to 16 to 18-year-olds.[32988]
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: Child benefit is paid in respect of some 72 per cent. of 16-year-olds, 59 per cent. of 17-year-olds and 38 per cent. of 18-year-olds who are continuing their education beyond the school leaving age.
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It is a significant contribution of £560 a year to their families. Without it, a family on average earnings would suffer a loss in income equivalent to a rise of 5p in the basic rate of income tax.
Pensioners
Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioner households had a (a) fridge, (b) car, (c) freezer, (d) telephone and (e) television in 1981; and how many have these items currently. [33143]
Mr. Heald: The latest available information is for 1992-93. The proportion of pensioners with access to these consumer durables for 1981 and 1992-93 respectively are as follows: a fridge 92 per cent. and 99 per cent.; a car or van 37 per cent. and 50 per cent.; a freezer 34 per cent. and 78 per cent.; a telephone 67 per cent. and 93 per cent. The 1992-93 figures did not record televisions, but 96 per cent. of pensioners had access to a television in 1981.
Source: Households below average income, 1981 and 1992-93.
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WALES
Health and Safety
Mr. Ian McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) minor, (b) major and (c) fatal injuries have been suffered by staff in his Department and its agencies in work-related incidents in each of the past five years, showing in each year how many were related to information technology and giving details of all incidents involving fatalities. [33525]
Mr. Hague: The number of recorded accident reports under the three categories is as follows:
| (a) Minor | (b) Major(11) | (c) Fatal | Computer related | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 112 | 3 | Nil | 3 |
| 1994 | 119 | 7 | Nil | 24 |
| 1993 | 85 | 7 | Nil | 4 |
(11)Cases which are required to be reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995.
Before 1 January 1993, accident records were not maintained centrally.
Rented Accommodation
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of (a) the demand for, and (b) the supply of rented accommodation in Wales at the most recent available date. [33802]
Mr. Hague: Estimates are not produced in the form requested.
Unemployment (Construction Workers)
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his latest estimate of the total number of people in Wales who are currently unemployed whose preference for employment has been indicated as the construction industry. [33750]
Mr. Hague: In April 1996, the Employment Service recorded some 5,900 unemployed claimants in Wales who sought skilled construction work.
House Building
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many houses have been built in Wales during the past 12 months in the (a) private, (b) voluntary and (c) public sector. [33753]
Mr. Hague: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside (Mr. Jones) on 19 June, Official Report, column 507, by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary.
Employment (Construction Industry)
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total number of people currently employed in the construction industry in Wales; and what was the corresponding figure (a) five and (b) 10 years previously.
Mr. Hague: The information requested is shown in the following table:
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| Number | |
|---|---|
| Spring 1985 | 83,000 |
| Spring 1990 | 113,000 |
| Spring 1995 | 85,000 |
| Winter 1995-96 | 80,000 |
Source:
Labour force survey.
(12)Includes employees, self-employed, Government-supported training and employment programmes and, since 1992, unpaid family workers.
Firearms
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many Government premises in Wales store guns or ammunition; what precautions are in place to prevent theft; how many instances of theft have occurred since 1990; if he will make it his policy to review security precautions; and if he will make a statement. [33977]
Mr. Hague: For security reasons I cannot disclose how many of my Department's premises in Wales store guns or ammunition, or provide details of the precautions which are in place to prevent theft. There has been one incident of theft of guns or ammunition since 1990. A review of security precautions is already under way in the light of that incident.
Welsh Development Agency
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what considerations underlay his direction to the Welsh Development Agency to sell by auction 25 lots of land on 18 June. [33868]
Mr. Hague: I have made no such direction. The agency will continue to provide quality sites and premises to new and expanding businesses in Wales and to inward investors. It is not the agency's role to be a long-term landlord; nor should it intervene where the market is capable of operating unaided. The current disposal programme is transferring ownership to the private sector and providing funds for the agency to re-invest in the Welsh economy, but the operational management of the programme is a matter for the agency.
Mr. Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on measures taken since 1979 by the Welsh Development Agency to improve the physical environment in Wales. [33867]
Mr. Hague: This is an operational matter for the Welsh Development Agency. I will arrange for the chief executive of the agency to write to the hon. Member and for a copy of his letter to be placed in the Library of the House.
Higher Education Funding Council
Mr. Sweeney: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the business expertise of the current membership of the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales; and if he will make a statement. [34725]
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Mr. Hague: The current membership includes three people with direct business expertise. I wish, nevertheless, to strengthen the council and have today appointed Dr. Kenneth Gray CBE, technical director of Thorn EMI, as a member of the council. I have also appointed Professor Brian Clarkson to the council.
They have been appointed for three years.
Mr. Morgan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date his Department was informed of the proposal to set up the Welsh ambulance policy and advisory group; what undertakings he gave of departmental co-operation with it; and if he will make a statement. [34283]
Mr. Hague:
My Department was informed of proposals by trusts to establish a Welsh ambulance policy advisory group in October 1994. The group is independent
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of my Department but my officials were invited to attend meetings. The group's first formal meeting was held on 16 January 1995.
Mr. Ainger:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the number of general practitioner trainees on three-year rotational schemes for each year from 1990 to 1995 and the number so far enrolled in 1996; how many of those are currently in the hospital practice part of the scheme; how many started the scheme and how many completed it in each year; and how many of those starting the scheme were United Kingdom graduates. [33922]
Mr. Gwilym Jones
[holding answer 21 June 1996]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 10 June, Official Report, column 56.