1 Nov 1996 : Column: 263
Written Answers to Questions
Friday 1 November 1996
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
Departmental Cash Limits
Mr. Congdon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he has to change the cash limits for the Overseas Development Administration for 1996-97. [2372]
Dr. Liam Fox: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class II, vote 5 will be increased by £30,570,000 from £1,591,466,000 to £1,622,036,000. The increase is in respect of: a rollover of underspending against the 1995-96 external assistance vote; a balance of underspending against European Community budgetary aid in 1994; the early redemption of outstanding loan repayments by the Crown Agents to the National Loans Fund; advisers fee related to the privatisation of the Crown Agents; and the reimbursement of costs incurred in 1995-96 and costs for 1996-97 in respect of the Gibraltar social insurance fund. The increase will be charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.
Departmental Minutes
Mr. Barry Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the departmental minutes which the Overseas Development Administration laid before the House on 20 August. [1650]
Dr. Liam Fox: The departmental minute reported the assumption of contingent liabilities arising from tax indemnities given to the commercial banks which are making concessional loans to developing countries to finance the following projects:
| Country | Project | Estimated maximum liability £ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Indonesia | Advancement of S1 Science and Technology | 1,432,665 |
| 2 China | Guangzhou Metro Ventilation System | 416,051 |
It was necessary to give the indemnities urgently during the parliamentary recess to avoid delaying the start of these two projects.
The departmental minute also reported that the contingent liability for the China Guangzhou metro overhead catenary system project had been underestimated by £88,317 in the earlier departmental minute laid before the house on 16 April 1996. This project is already being implemented. The financing agreement for this project will be increased. The
1 Nov 1996 : Column: 264
contingent liability is now estimated to amount to a maximum of £916,354 instead of the £833,037 previously notified.
These projects are being supported by the Overseas Development Administration under the aid and trade provision soft loan financing arrangements which enable the banks to lend at concessional rates.
The departmental minute was placed in the Libraries of both Houses on 20 August and copies were sent to the Public Accounts Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Lady Olga Maitland:
To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what changes she proposes to make to her Department's cash limits and running cost limits for 1996-97. [2432]
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley:
Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class X, vote 1 will be increased by £14,107,000 from £948,760,000 to £962,867,000 and running costs limit is increased by £3,340,000 from £26,137,000 to £29,477,000. This is to increase provision for assets accepted in lieu of tax; within the new project ceiling, to increase provision to fund works required to complete the British Library St. Pancras building; to provide for payments from the National Heritage lottery fund to the royal commission for historical manuscripts for assessment work; to provide for additional expenditure on the royal estate and to transfer responsibility to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for maintenance work connected with ceremonial works; to provide for payments from the Department of the Environment--class VI, vote 5--towards the cost of refurbishing Somerset house for the housing of the Gilbert collection; to provide for additional appropriations from rents and other income from properties on the royal estate; to provide for the transfer of responsibility for costs of the Whitehall heating system for the Banqueting house to the Historic Royal Palaces agency; to provide for additional appropriations from sales of published material by the Royal Fine Art Commission; to provide for a reduction in expenditure on research and other services; to provide for an increase in running costs expenditure in line with entitlement to end year flexibility, to effect the transfer of responsibility for voluntary services from the Home Office and to transfer provision from the Security Facilities Executive agency for advisory services; to effect transfers from Home Office for grants for reducing racial disadvantage and for assistance to the National Association of Lay Visitors; and to provide for the expenses of the Department in the privatisation of the BBC transmission services. The increases will be offset by transfers, savings and charges to the reserve, and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.
1 Nov 1996 : Column: 265
Mr. Allen:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each division of the Health and Safety Executive trends in staff levels relative to levels three years ago. [660]
1 Nov 1996 : Column: 266
Sir Paul Beresford:
The following table shows the number of staff employed by the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last four years.
1 Nov 1996 : Column: 265
| 1 April 1993 | 1 April 1994 | 1 April 1995(1) | 31 March 1996(2) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health and Safety Commission (Support) | 5.00 | 5.00 | 5.00 | 5.00 |
| Director General's Office | 10.00 | 10.00 | 10.00 | 10.00 |
| Solicitor's Office | 17.00 | 18.00 | 17.00 | 19.00 |
| Resources and Planning Division | 665.50 | 663.00 | 662.00 | 574.00 |
| Safety Policy Division | 124.00 | 124.00 | 121.00 | 113.00 |
| Strategy and General Division | 150.50 | 140.00 | 141.00 | 136.00 |
| Health Policy Division | 89.00 | 94.00 | 86.00 | 96.00 |
| Field Operations Division | 1,960.50 | 1,939.00 | 1,859.00 | 1,741.00 |
| HM Railway Inspectorate | 63.00 | 71.00 | 85.00 | 82.00 |
| HM Inspectorate of Mines | 60.00 | 52.00 | 48.00 | 42.00 |
| Offshore Safety Division | 319.50 | 375.00 | 343.00 | 309.00 |
| Nuclear Safety Division | 271.50 | 281.00 | 263.00 | 268.00 |
| Technology and Health Sciences Division | 333.00 | 335.00 | 330.00 | 330.00 |
| Health and Safety Laboratory | 415.00 | 382.00 | 364.00 | 365.00 |
| Electrical Equipment Certification Services | 54.00 | 56.00 | 57.00 | 61.00 |
| Total staff | 4,537.50 | 4,545.00 | 4,391.00 | 4,151.00 |
(1) Figures given are full-time equivalent counts. A revised Treasury methodology for calculating full-time equivalent figures for staff in part-time posts came into operation from 1.4.95. From that date all part-time staff were counted pro-rata according to hours worked. Previously part-time staff who worked 10 hours or more were all counted as 0.5.
(2) From 1.4.96 HSE Divisions were restructured. Staff in post data for 31.3.96 is listed to provide comparison with previous years.
1 Nov 1996 : Column: 265
Homelessness
Mr. David Nicholson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people were statutorily recognised as homeless at the latest available date; and of those how many are estimated to have accommodation with, (i) specific inadequacies and (ii) insecurity; how many are housed in emergency hostels; and how many are without any form of shelter. [1015]
Mr. Clappison: I refer my hon. Friend to the quarterly information bulletin entitled, "Households found accommodation the homelessness provisions of the Housing Act 1985: England" for the available information. Copies of the bulletin, the latest of which provides statistics for the second quarter of 1996, are in the Library.
Lead Pipes
Mr. Chris Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy with regard to securing the replacement of lead pipes in the domestic water supply network. [1024]
Mr. Clappison: The Government's policy is to seek to reduce levels of lead in drinking water. Action is being taken by water suppliers to help reduce lead levels at consumers' taps, but responsibility for domestic pipework rests with property owners. To help them, the Government have recently published a leaflet which informs householders about the risks from lead in drinking water and gives advice on the action that they can take to reduce exposure. We are currently considering what further measures could be taken to provide information and promote awareness.
1 Nov 1996 : Column: 266
Occupational Dermatitis
Mr. Ian McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people have been diagnosed as contracting occupational dermatitis in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [1136]
Sir Paul Beresford: The industrial injuries compensation scheme administered by DSS tends to record the most serious cases of (non-infective) dermatitis. The numbers of new cases assessed at 1 per cent. or more disability, based on a 100 per cent. count of cases from 1985-86 to 1994-95 are as follows:
| Year | Number of cases of dermatitis |
|---|---|
| 1985-86 | 785 |
| 1986-87 | 464 |
| 1987-88 | 368 |
| 1988-89 | 285 |
| 1989-90 | 301 |
| 1990-91 | 434 |
| 1991-92 | 411 |
| 1992-93 | 419 |
| 1993-94 | 392 |
| 1994-95 | 368 |
Mr. McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what additional measures are being evaluated to protect construction workers employed on the London Underground Jubilee line extension from contracting occupational dermatitis. [1139]
Sir Paul Beresford: The Health and Safety Executive has completed a follow-up survey on one site. This showed that where the full range of measures was used, cases of dermatitis had reduced by 80 per cent.
1 Nov 1996 : Column: 267
Mr. McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many construction workers employed on the London Underground Jubilee line extension have been diagnosed as contracting occupational dermatitis.[1137]
Sir Paul Beresford: Of the 133 men examined by HSE's employment medical adviser, 10 showed signs of occupational dermatitis.
Mr. McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures were taken at the outset of the London Underground Jubilee line extension to protect construction workers from occupational dermatitis. [1138]
Sir Paul Beresford: Protective measures are the responsibility of the contractors engaged in the project. I am informed by the Health and Safety Executive that washing facilities were provided at all Jubilee line extension sites. It is not possible to state the extent to which other measures such as protective clothing, skin creams and training were made available by contractors.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |