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European Development Funds

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps his Department is taking to secure for (a) Gwynedd and (b) other areas in Wales, full development area status in his current review of the assisted areas map. [59378]

Mr. Hain: Derogation 92(3)(a) is the highest level of Assisted Area status. To qualify, a NUTSII area must have per capita GDP of less than 75 per cent. of the EU average. The UK agreed a new set of NUTS boundaries with Eurostat on 29 June. The Government have written to the EC confirming that they wish the new NUTS boundaries to be used in the definition of areas to be assisted under derogation 92(3)(a). Recent ONS GDP figures indicate that the West Wales and the Valleys NUTSII area, which includes Gwynedd, could be eligible for derogation 92(3)(a).

Teachers (Funding)

Mr. Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list, by county, the names of schools that have received extra funding to employ Key Stage 1 teachers. [59579]

Mr. Hain: The information requested has been placed in the Library of the House.

Economic Inactivity

Mr. Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the current economic inactivity rates are for each (a) county and (b) constituency in Wales. [59580]

Mr. Hain: It is estimated from the Labour Force Survey that 26 per cent. of the working age population in Wales were economically inactive in the period July-September 1998. The corresponding rate for all people aged 16 or over was 42 per cent. The latest economic inactivity rates for each unitary authority in Wales are for 1996 and are shown in the following table. Inactivity rates are not available at a constituency level.

17 Nov 1998 : Column: 536

Economic inactivity rates by unitary authority, 1996 (10)Percentage, not seasonally adjusted

	Economic inactivity rate(11)
Unitary authority	All aged 16+	All aged 16-59/64
Blaenau Gwent	49	33
Bridgend	35	21
Caerphilly	46	32
Cardiff	36	20
Carmarthenshire	44	25
Ceredigion	41	21
Conwy	46	25
Denbighshire	49	24
Flintshire	37	21
Gwynedd	43	25
Isle of Anglesey	50	31
Merthyr Tydfil	41	28
Monmouthshire	38	22
Neath Port Talbot	46	33
Newport	37	25
Pembrokeshire	39	24
Powys	36	18
Rhondda, Cynon, Taff	46	31
Swansea	46	28
The Vale of Glamorgan	42	24
Torfaen	34	19
Wrexham	43	26
Wales	42	25

(10) Data relate to the period March 1996-February 1997

(11) Total economically inactive as a percentage of all persons in the relevant age group

Source:

Labour Force Survey 1996 Local Authority Database, Office for National Statistics

Long-term Illness

Mr. Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the incidence is of limiting long-term illness in each of the 22 authorities in Wales [59578]

Mr. Jon Owen Jones: The latest available information on long-term illness is provided by the 1997 Welsh Household Interview Survey, a sample survey of people living in domestic properties throughout Wales. People living in institutions or communal establishments, such as residential homes for the elderly, are excluded, as are people living in second or holiday homes. The available information is given in the following table:

Estimated numbers and percentages of people in occupied first homes with a long-standing illness or disability, by local authority

Local authority area	Number of people with a long-term illness or disability	As a % of the total population in occupied first homes	Total population in occupied first homes
Isle of Anglesey	11,400	16.6	68,700
Gwynedd	15,300	13.7	112,000
Conwy	15,500	13.7	112,800
Denbighshire	14,200	15.7	90,600
Flintshire	20,700	15.1	137,400
Wrexham	20,300	15.7	129,300
Powys	14,200	11.8	120,300
Ceredigion	7,900	12.7	62,300
Pembrokeshire	13,500	12.5	107,800
Carmarthenshire	35,200	20.9	169,000
Swansea	41,300	18.4	225,000
Neath Port Talbot	28,200	20.0	141,200
Bridgend	23,000	17.0	135,400
The Vale of Glamorgan	17,900	15.2	117,700
Cardiff	40,400	13.1	307,300
Rhondda, Cynon, Taff	46,200	19.3	239,100
Merthyr Tydfil	12,500	20.9	59,600
Caerphilly	33,700	20.0	168,100
Blaenau Gwent	16,100	22.7	70,800
Torfaen	16,400	18.1	90,600
Monmouthshire	8,000	9.8	81,300
Newport	22,300	16.0	139,300
Wales	474,100	16.4	2,885,500

Source:

1997 Welsh Household Interview Survey

17 Nov 1998 : Column: 537

Flooding

Mr. Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what help is being offered to those who have suffered from the recent floods. [59612]

Mr. Jon Owen Jones: It is recognised that the recent floods caused much distress and that there are those who were not insured. To people receiving income support or income-based jobseeker's allowance, help for flood victims may be available from the Social Fund by way of community care grants, or interest-free budgeting loans. People not on income support may be eligible for a crisis loan. There has been recent guidance to all Social Fund staff on the payment of grants to disaster victims.

Education Funding

Mr. Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the projected increase in education funding for each county in Wales for each of the next three years. [59582]

Mr. Hain: In July this year, we announced indicative increases in education spending of £110m in 1999-2000, £250m in 2000-01 and £370m in 2001-02. These include increases in local authority spending on education.

Final decisions on allocations for education and other services will be made taking account of the consultation on the comprehensive spending review and will be announced later in the Autumn.

Pwllheli Planning Appeal

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will arrange for the planning appeal public inquiry, scheduled to be heard at Pwllheli on 2 February 1999, to be conducted by an inspector who is proficient in both the Welsh and English languages. [59760]

Mr. Jon Owen Jones: The Chief Planning Inspector has written to the right hon. Gentleman explaining that no bi-lingual Inspector is available to conduct this inquiry but that simultaneous translation facilities will be provided. I will put a copy of his letter in the Library. In error, the Chief Planning Inspector's letter gives the date of the inquiry as 2 February; in fact the date is 9 February.

The provision of Inspectors is a matter for the Planning Inspectorate and the arrangements proposed are consistent with the Inspectorate's approved Welsh Language Scheme.

17 Nov 1998 : Column: 538

Midwives (Salary)

Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which NHS trusts in Wales (a) have and (b) have not implemented the Government's recommendation to ensure that midwives working as the lead professional are awarded a minimum F-grade salary. [59986]

Mr. Jon Owen Jones: The information is not available in the form requested. The Government accepted last year's nurses pay review body recommendation, which urged the Health Departments to ensure implementation of the 1995 agreement, whereby any changes in midwives' roles and responsibilities should be reflected in their grading and pay. A recent questionnaire sent to NHS Trusts seeking information on the grading and role of midwives is still being analysed. A summary of the responses will be submitted as supplementary evidence to the pay review body and will be placed in the Library of the House at the same time.

Water Budget Payment Units

Mr. Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many homes in Wales had their water disconnected following the installation of water budget payment units by Hyder in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [59911]

Mr. Jon Owen Jones: This information is not available to the company. Its present technology does not enable the interruption of supplies to customers to be monitored directly.

The Government's recent consultation paper "Water Charging in England and Wales--A New Approach" welcomed the High Court ruling that budget payment meters which cut off the flow of water were unlawful. A response to this consultation exercise is to be published by the Government shortly.

Mr. Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many homes in Wales have water budget units. [59912]

Mr. Jon Owen Jones: I am advised that Dwr Cymru presently has 24,243 watercard customers in its area of supply. Neither of the other two water supply companies operating in Wales, Severn Trent and Dee Valley Water, offers water budget units to its customers as a means of paying for water.

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