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Resource Accounting

Mr. Tim Smith: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress his Department is making with the introduction of resource accounting and budgeting; and in respect of which financial year he expects to publish the first set of resource accounts. [4993]

Mr. John M. Taylor: The DTI is on track to introduce resource accounting and budgeting in accordance with the timescales set out in the Government White Paper, "Better Accounting for the Taxpayer's Money," Cm 2929. Resource accounting systems will be introduced during the year beginning 1 April 1997 and the first set of resource accounts are planned for publication for the financial year beginning 1 April 1999.

The first survey on a resource basis is planned to be undertaken in the year 2000.

Hawk Aircraft (Indonesia)

Mr. Waller: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the next phase of British Aerospace's contract to supply Hawk aircraft to Indonesia. [5830]

Mr. Lang: I have authorised the issue of licences to British Aerospace for the export of 16 Hawk aircraft, and associated equipment, to Indonesia. This export represents the second consignment of Hawk aircraft in respect of the contract signed in 1993. Authorisation of the first consignment was announced in my answer of 19 December 1995, Official Report, column 1081 to my hon. Friend the Member for Saffron Walden (Sir A. Haselhurst).

21 Nov 1996 : Column: 679

Consumer Credit Deregulation

Mr. Waterson: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on consumer credit deregulation. [5719]

Mr. John M. Taylor: I am pleased to be able to report progress with deregulation in this area. The Government take the view that consumer credit law provides valuable and necessary protection. However, some aspects of the law can be changed to reduce the burden of regulation on business without detriment to the interests of consumers.

Last year we consulted on five proposals. Careful consideration of the replies we received has informed our decisions.

We have decided that we should revoke the existing regulations on quotations. Few consumers appear to ask for written quotations and the compliance cost to business is disproportionate to the benefit.

We shall reduce the burden on holders of standards consumer credit licences by limiting the circumstances in which they have to notify the Director General of Fair Trading of changes among their office holders or controllers.

We shall restore the value of consumer protection by making changes to the monetary amounts and limits in the Consumer Credit Act.

However, in the light of the response to the consultation, we shall not change the early settlement rebate regulations.

We are to undertake a further short consultation on our proposal to deregulate lending and hiring to unincorporated businesses. We wish to ascertain more clearly the deregulatory benefits and any consumer costs which may be expected if the borrower or hirer makes a deregulated credit or hire agreement either "wholly", or "wholly or predominantly" for business purposes.

We expect to put draft legislative proposals before Parliament during the next few months.

Finally, we shall in the next few months bring forward further deregulation proposals in the consumer credit sector.

EU Internal Market

Mr. Waterson: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what decisions were taken at the EU Ministerial Council on the internal market on 25 October; and what matters were voted upon. [5716]

Mr. Lang: My right hon. Friend the Minister for Trade represented the UK at the Internal Market Council In Luxembourg on 25 October.

The Council adopted a resolution on the simplification and rationalisation of the Community's customs regulations and procedures. The Council also adopted a Council decision on negotiations with Norway on customs co-operation--Spain opposed.

Private Finance Initiative

Mr. Timms: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what information is collated centrally on (a) the long-term revenue commitments and (b) any other

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commitments arising as a result of private finance initiative projects agreed by (i) his Department and (ii) agencies accountable to his Department. [5076]

Mr. John M. Taylor [holding answer 20 November 1996]: My Department maintains a central record of all potential long-term revenue commitments arising from planned PFI projects in DTI and its agencies. However, no projects have yet been finally agreed--that is, contracts signed. No other commitments are envisaged, but if they were to emerge, a central record would be kept.

Kilwinning Plant Closure

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies have had with Hillsdown Ambient Foods Group Ltd. in relation to the relocation of production facilities from their Robert Wilson and Sons Ltd. factor in Kilwinning to North Walsham; and what financial help has been offered to the company to assist in the relocation. [5056]

Mr. Greg Knight [holding answer 20 November 1996]: It is not policy to disclose details of discussions of this kind which are commercial in confidence.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

Students

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time students have entered the further education sector (i) nationally and (ii) in the west midlands in each year since 1992; and what was each figure as a percentage change on the previous year. [4900]

Mr. Paice: Table 1 shows the numbers of full-time and part-time further education students in each November from 1992 to 1995. The figures for 1995 are not on the same basis as those for earlier years, as explained in the footnotes to the table.

Table 2 shows the percentage changes in student numbers over the previous year, taking account as far as possible of the definitional differences between 1994 and 1995.

The November 1995 student number figures for England are provisional; estimates for west midlands are not yet available.

Table 1: Number of students (thousands)

	England			West Midlands
	Full-time	Part-time	Total	Full-time	Part-time	Total
November
1992	592	1,263	1,855	37	72	109
1993	646	1,283	1,929	43	73	116
1994	677	1,362	2,039	48	82	130
1995	730	1,558	2,288	n/a	n/a	n/a

Figures are on the following bases: 1992 to 1994: Students on FE courses in FE and HE institutions (including sixth-form colleges). Split between full and part-time based on the position in November.

1995: All students in FE sector colleges (other than specialist designated institutions). Split between full and part-time based on attendance over the academic year as a whole.

¹ Provisional.

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Table 2: Percentage change from the previous year

	England			West Midlands
	Full-time	Part-time	Total	Full-time	Part-time	Total
November
1992	7	-6	-2	6	-8	-3
1993	9	2	4	16	1	6
1994	5	6	6	10	13	12
1995(5)	9	8	8	n/a	n/a	n/a




The percentage changes in 1995 take account as far as possible of the definitional differences from 1994 noted above.

(5) Provisional.

Lecturers

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what was the average salary of (a) a full-time and (b) a part-time lecturer in (i) the further and (ii) the higher education sector in 1979; [4964]

(2) what was the average salary of (a) a full-time and (b) a part-time lecturer in the higher education sector in each year since 1992; and what was the percentage change on the previous year; [4969]

(3) what was the average salary of (a) a full-time and (b) a part-time lecturer in the further education sector in each year since 1992; and what was the percentage change on the previous year. [4970]

Mr. Paice: Comprehensive information on the salaries of part-time further and higher education lecturers is not available. Information for full-time lecturers is shown in the table, although, as explained in the footnotes, the figures are not on exactly the same basis for all years.

All of the figures are derived from the "New Earnings Survey", based on a random 1 per cent. sample of employees, and so are subject to sampling variation. Precise significance should not therefore be attached to small year to year changes in the estimated averages.

Moreover year on year changes in the estimated averages are not necessarily a direct reflection of changes in pay rates, but would also be affected by changes over time in the composition of the lecturer populations.

	Average gross weekly pay(6) of full-time lecturers in:
		FE colleges and colleges of HE		Universities and polytechnics
	£	Percentage change from previous year	£	Percentage change from previous year
April
1979(7)(8)	103		149
1992(8)	424	+7	504	+8
1993	453	(8)+7	526	+4
1994	448	-1	540	+3
1995	449	0	556	+3
1996	452	+1	551	-1

(6) All figures are derived from the "New Earnings Survey", based on a 1 per cent. random sample of employees. They relate to the average gross weekly pay, including overtime and additions, of full-time employees whose pay was not affected by absence. The timing of the NES data collection may mean however that the figures do not always take account of backdated pay awards.

(7) The figures for 1979 are on a different basis from those for later years: they relate to males only; polytechnic lecturers are included with lecturers in FE colleges and colleges of HE (rather than with university lecturers).

(8) Lecturers in FE colleges and colleges of HE exclude lecturers in sixth form colleges in 1979 and 1992, but include them in subsequent years. This difference in coverage may have affected the estimated percentage change in 1993 for this group.

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