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Written Answers to Questions
Friday 23 March 1990
NORTHERN IRELAND
Hospital Waiting Lists
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Londonderry, East of 9 March, Official Report, columns 869-78, when he expects to reduce the in- patients waiting list to below six months.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 20 March 1990] : The Government do not believe it to be helpful to forecast waiting times, as the management of waiting lists is a matter for health and social services boards. Under the changes flowing from the NHS review, boards as purchasers of services will be keen to have those services deemed necessary for their populations delivered speedily and efficiently. Boards can therefore be expected to regard waiting times as an important criterion in placing and reviewing contracts.
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Londonderry, East of 9 March, Official Report, columns 869-78, how many of the persons on the waiting list for (a) less than 12 months and (b) more than 12 months who are unfit for work due to their medical condition, but who can be expected to return to work after treatment, have lost their jobs because of the length of the period of waiting for treatment, or as much of such information as is available to him.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 20 March 1990] : This information is not available.
PRIME MINISTER
East Germany
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Prime Minister whether she will make it her policy not to agree to full membership of the EEC for East Germany in advance of other east European states.
The Prime Minister : We support the integration of the territory of the GDR into the EC as soon as practicable after unification. Intensive and detailed negotiations between Germany and the EC will be required on, for example, agriculture and fisheries, trade and regional policy. I look forward to discussing this at the informal meeting of EC Heads of State or Government in Dublin on 28 April.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Prime Minister whether the Government will make it their policy not to agree to an increase in EEC funding for East Germany until measures have been taken to eliminate the United Kingdom's net contribution to the EEC budget ; and if she will publish in
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the Official Report a table showing that contribution for each year since 1979, the estimated outturn for 1989 and the forecast for the current year.The Prime Minister : No. The United Kingdom's net contribution to the European Community budget was £947 million in 1979 and £706 million in 1980. Information about the United Kingdom's contribution in later years is given in the successive annual statements on the Community budget. The latest published estimate of the United Kingdom's net contribution to the Community budget in 1989 is in the statement on the 1989 Community budget (Cm. 680). The statement on the 1990 Community budget will be published shortly and will contain a revised estimate of the United Kingdom's net contribution in 1989 and an estimate of the net contribution in 1990.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Residential Special Schools
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) whether membership of the joint working party for residential special schools will be affected by any new arrangements for determining the pay and conditions of teachers ;
(2) what bodies form the membership of the joint working party for residential special schools ;
(3) how the membership of the joint working party for residential special schools was determined.
Mrs. Rumbold : The joint working party on the future of ILEA residential special schools outside inner London was established in June 1988 to consider the future of the residential special schools maintained by ILEA but situated outside its geographical boundary. It was chaired by officials from the Department and representation was invited from ILEA, inner and outer London boroughs, the Common Council of the City of London, those county councils in whose area the schools are situated and the London residuary body.
The joint working party completed its work in January 1989 and submitted a report to my right hon. Friend. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Rugby and Kenilworth (Mr. Pawsey) on 22 February 1989, Official Report, columns 638-39.
Iraqi Students
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many Iraqi students have been given permission to study in United Kingdom universities, polytechnics and colleges of higher and further education in each year since 1979.
Mr. Jackson : The number of full-time and sandwich students on publicly funded further and higher education courses in Great Britain institutions, whose domicile was recorded as Iraq, is as follows :
1979 |2,484
1980 |2,218
1982 |2,239
1983 |1,845
NATIONAL FINANCE
Profit-related Pay
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many firms that have been operating a profit-related pay scheme for more than one year have changed the basis on which the scheme is organised during the course of its operation.
Mr. Lilley : I regret that the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Tax Threshold
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the estimated loss in revenue of an increase in the tax threshold to £150 per week for all families and £100 for individuals together with a basic tax rate of 25 per cent. inclusive of national insurance contribution.
Mr. Lilley : At 1990-91 levels of income, the cost in a full year of adopting the tax regime suggested by my hon. Friend and abolishing class 1 national insurance contributions for employees and class 2 and 4 contributions for the self-employed is estimated to be over £30 billion.
This estimate assumes independent taxation and is based on a projection of the 1987-88 survey of personal incomes and is provisional.
Advertising Expenditure
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total publicity and advertising expenditure including for privatisation, of his Department and public bodies for which his Department has responsibility in (a) 1979 and (b) 1989.
Mr. Ryder : Total expenditure on publicity and advertising by HM Treasury in 1989-90 is estimated at £550,525. That figure does not include any provision for privatisation-related expenditure for which there was no requirement in 1989-90. Actual expenditure will not be known until after the close of the financial year. Comparable figures for the year 1979 -80 are not available because of machinery of Government changes, and could be given only at disproportionate cost.
Inland Revenue Staff
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are employed by the Inland Revenue in (a) administering and (b) collecting income tax.
Mr. Lilley [holding answer 20 March 1990] : The staff costs of (a) administering and (b) collecting income tax
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are around 41,500 and around 6,500 man years respectively. These figures do not include the staff costs of certain central functions which relate to the running of the Inland Revenue as a whole.Police Recruitment Examination
Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the prison service psychologist's review of the police initial recruitment examination.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I have been asked to reply.
Yes.
HEALTH
Maternity Services
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to provide a more integrated level of hospital-based maternity and community midwifery care ; whether he proposes to issue any guidelines to health authorities ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The benefits of integrated hospital and community maternity services were emphasised in the reports of the maternity services advisory committee which was set up in 1981 by my right hon. Friends the then Secretaries of State for Social Services and for Wales to advise on matters relating to the maternity and neonatal services. The three reports were commended to health authorities upon their publication in 1984 and 1985 and remain the basis of policies for NHS maternity services. Their recommendations will inform the negotiation of contracts for maternity services which district health authorities will be undertaking with provider units subject to enactment of the National Health Service and Community Care Bill.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received to make maternity services a core service ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : We have received a number of representations from doctors and midwives as well as voluntary groups working in maternity and child care. They arise from a
misunderstanding about the reasons behind the need to designate certain services as "core" services. Designation will not be an indication of the importance of a service relative to other services nor the sole indicator of a service that has to be provided locally. It will be relevant only where a district health authority has only one sensible option on the location of a service and that service is managed by a National Health Service trust.
Regional and District Health Authorities (Allocations)
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he proposes a further response in view of the representations he has recieved about the financial allocations to the North East Thames regional health authority and the Waltham Forest district health authority ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : It is for regional health authorities to decide allocations to districts in the light of local needs and priorities.
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Midwives
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) for what reasons the grading of newly qualified midwives with the same responsibilities varies between district health authorities ; (2) if he will state the numbers of midwives, in districts with low staff turnover, who remain in posts graded D until higher posts become available ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Midwifery posts, in common with others in the clinical grading structure, are graded in accordance with the skills and responsibilities they call for. The grading of posts may vary between authorities because of differences in the way services, staff responsibilities, and management structures are organised. Information is not collected centrally on how long midwives in particular grades have been qualified, nor on the numbers of staff who wish to apply for higher graded posts.
Deaf People (Report)
Mr. Neale : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the report entitled, "A Better Life--Telecommunication for People who are Deaf and use Sign Language", carried out by the social research unit at the university of York, will be published ; and if he will put a copy of the report in the Library.
Mr. Freeman : The report is being completed and will be published shortly. I will arrange for a copy to be put in the Library.
Hospital Facilities
Sir John Farr : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure that back-up hospital facilities are maintained outside city centres in order to reduce the time and financial costs involved in travelling to concentrated facilities.
Mr. Freeman : It is for each individual health authority to decide its pattern of services locally in the light of its assessment of needs and priorities as against available resources.
Dental Service
Mr. Sean Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists joined the dentists' register in each of the last five years from individual EC countries, and from non-EC countries.
Mr. Freeman : Information provided by the General Dental Council shows that in the last five years the number of new registrations was as follows :
EC Countries
Belgium |- |- |1 |1 |1
Denmark |8 |5 |4 |7 |5
Correspondence
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the hon. Member for Rugby and Kenilworth will receive a reply to his letter of 16 January about Mr. Parkes of Kenilworth, passed to him by the Department of Social Security.
Mr. Freeman : A reply was sent yesterday. I regret the delay.
Health Care Research
Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he intends to increase the amount of money in real terms available for research into nursing care ; and if he will make a statement ; (2) what is the amount of money allocated to specific nursing care research ; and what percentage this amount is of the total moneys available to health care research overall.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Research into nursing care falls mainly into the following research priority themes :
Aids
Acute Sector Hospital Services
Community Care
Primary Health Care
Information about expenditure on individual projects is published in the Department of Health yearbook of research and development 1989, available in the Library.
Provision for the health and personal social services research programme in 1990-91 is planned at £21 million, compared with expenditure in 1989- 90 estimated at £15 million.
NHS Earnings
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average level of earnings for (a) hospital doctors, (b) nurses and (c) ancillary staff in each year since 1974 in cash, constant prices and as a proportion of national average earnings.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley [holding answer 1 March 1990] : Estimates are available on a consistent basis only from 1985-86, and these are given in the table.
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<1> The estimates include London Weigthing and, for Nurses and Midwives, include London Supplements and Flexible Pay Supplements. <2> At constant prices of 1985-86, calculated using the RPI for July of each year. <3> Hospital and Community Health Service Doctors and Dentists. For years prior to 1989-90, information on earnings is taken from a different source to the estimates of whole-time equivalents, and the average figures shown may be somewhat unreliable in consequence.
Hepatitis B
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what advice his Department has issued to health authorities regarding the risk of contracting the hepatitis B virus from discarded needles ; (2) what research his Department has conducted into the risks of infection by the hepatitis B virus through discarded needles in refuse.
Mr. Freeman [holding answer 16 March 1990] : We are unaware of any specific research in this area, but advice on the risks of hepatitis B contamination from discarded needles and other "sharps" is contained in "The Safe Disposal of Clinical Waste" which was issued to all health authorities in 1982. Further advice is contained in "Guidance for Clinical Health Care Workers : Protection Against Infections with HIV and Hepatitis Viruses" which was issued to health authorities in January this year. Copies of the documents mentioned are available in the Library.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Estate Agency
Mr. Sean Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what is his estimate of the total cost of establishing and implementing the new controls over estate agency as envisaged in the current report "Estate Agency" issued by the Director General of Fair Trading ;
(2) whether he is able to give a firm date for when he expects the new proposals for estate agency control outlined in the Office of Fair Trading report to be in operation.
Mr. Forth : I received the director general's report on the issues that I asked him to consider in relation to my proposals to improve consumer protection in estate agency on 9 March.
I am giving careful consideration to his conclusions and recommendations, particularly in respect of the proposals for new controls under section 3 of the Estate Agents Act
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1979 and under the Trade Descriptions Act 1968. Examination of the resource implications of these proposals will form part of this work.I intend to announce my conclusions shortly.
Business Lending and Hiring
Sir Neil Macfarlane : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to amend the Consumer Credit Act by removing business lending and hiring from the scope of the Act as proposed in paragraph 6:8:8 of the 1988 White Paper "Releasing Enterprise" ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Forth : The Government intend to amend the Consumer Credit Act 1974 so as to exclude all credit and hire for business purposes, as soon as parliamentary time permits.
Penny Post Anniversary
Mr. Harry Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department has considered an application for an exhibition relating to the 150th anniversary of the penny post to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.
Mr. Forth : I gave my approval in principle to this application on 6 March.
New Businesses
Mr. Gregory : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new businesses were established in the Yorkshire and Humberside region in 1979, 1983, 1987 and the most recent year ; how many net new businesses were established for the same periods ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : I have been asked to reply.
The available information, based on VAT data, is given in the table. Figures are not available before 1980. Although 1988 is the latest year for which these detailed figures are available, early indications from data collected by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise are that there was a net increase in 1989 in the United Kingdom as a whole of 1,500 a week on average, compared with 1,200 a week in 1988.
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Germany (Privatisation)
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if Her Majesty's Government have offered any advice on privatisation to the Governments of West and East Germany.
Mr. Waldegrave : I have been asked to reply.
We have exchanged views with the West German Government on our respective privatisation programmes. During his talks in East Berlin with the GDR authorities earlier this year, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs emphasised the importance of attracting foreign investment. We have not yet offered substantive help in this area to the GDR, but expect to do so in future.
Czechoslovakia
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his latest assessment of the opportunities for joint trading ventures in Czechoslovakia.
Mr. Redwood : Czechoslovakia introduced joint venture legislation over a year ago and although it has been refining it since to make the idea more attractive to western investors, so far only one British company has entered into a full joint venture. This is in the textile sector. As for the future, I visited Czechoslovakia recently and found great commitment in the Government and among middle management towards joint ventures. Opportunities are certainly there in such areas as food processing machinery and the automotive sector, and will also grow out of the day-to- day trade relationships which we are doing our best to encourage.
East Germany
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on United Kingdom trade with East Germany.
Mr. Redwood : In 1989 the United Kingdom exported to the GDR goods worth £106 million and imported goods to the value of £169 million. Some 25 per cent. of our exports were accounted for by cereals ; and of the imports, non-ferrous metals and furniture accounted for about 35 per cent. altogether. My Department encourages the expansion of trade with the GDR and my noble Friend the Minister for Trade has just returned from the Leipzig fair where over 100 British firms exhibited and received a record number of inquiries from potential GDR customers.
Eastern Europe
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has on any proposed joint ventures between United Kingdom companies and East Germany.
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Mr. Redwood : I am not aware of any actual joint ventures between British and German Democratic Republic companies. Such joint ventures are certainly possible although the formal legislation is not in place yet. We are advised that although the East German authorities have specified a maximum foreign shareholding of 49 per cent., in practice it might be possible to exceed this. Several British companies have built up close trading links with East German enterprises, particularly in the food processing machinery and health care sectors, and I know of at least two companies being set up in the German Democratic Republic under British auspices to market British products and expertise in these sectors. Other legislation to facilitate trade and investment is being discussed, for example, a double taxation agreement and an investment promotion and protection agreement.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if, during his recent visit to eastern Europe, he discussed the possibility of providing export credit guarantees to support the development of environment-friendly industrial plants.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 20 March 1990] : My right hon. Friend met Ministers and senior officials during his visit last week to the USSR and Poland. He did not discuss environmental issues in particular, but I am sure both Governments recognise the need to improve the environment. The ECGD will consider support for United Kingdom exports and investment to eastern Europe to the extent and on terms the Department considers prudent in particular countries.
ENVIRONMENT
Boundary Commission
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of (a) the total cost and (b) the costs of the management and opinion surveys of the Boundary Commission's proposed report on county Humberside.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The local government boundary commission has not yet completed its review of the county of Humberside. It is not our practice to reveal costs of individual contracts, but the combined cost of the two consultants' studies so far carried out in connection with Humberside is about £170,000.
North Sea (Chemical Discharges)
Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Provan of 13 March, Official Report, column 188, if he will list all the chemicals which are (a) persistent, (b) toxic and (c) liable to bioaccumulate which are not included in the United Kingdom red list or covered by the national action plan and which will continue to be discharged into the North sea via pipes and rivers.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Further to my answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Provan on 13 March at column 188, the following 16 chemicals agreed as priority hazardous substances at the recent North sea conference are not included on the United Kingdom red list : copper, zinc, lead, arsenic, chromium, nickel, carbon tetrachloride,
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chloroform, azinphos-ethyl, fenthion, parathion, parathion-methyl, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethane and dioxins. The first eight of these substances are either EEC list I or list II substances and discharges of such substances are strictly controlled under the arrangements set out in Department of the Environment circular 7/89.For the remaining substances the Government will be introducing the necessary arrangements to achieve the substantial reductions in the inputs of these substances to water which were agreed at the Hague North sea conference.
Flowers and Fauna (Exhibition)
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department has considered an application for an exhibition relating to the flowers and fauna of Great Britain to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : I understand that, under procedures agreed by the Services Committee, arrangements have been made with the authorities of the House for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from Monday 21 May to Friday 25 May.
West Midlands Residuary Body
Mr. Anthony Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on appointments to the West Midlands residuary body.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The following appointments and reappointments are being made to the West Midlands residuary body for the period 1 April to 31 March 1991 or until dissolution of the body, whichever is the earlier :
Chairman : T. McDonald, OBE
Members : Cllr. J. Adams, OBE
G. N. Jackson, CBE
J. P. Meering
W. S. Page, CBE
K. Williams
Reappointments.
The West Midlands residuary body has already distributed £50 million in balances and £33 million in capital receipts and has made substantial progress with a major programme of property disposals. My right hon. Friend is especially grateful to the retiring chairman, Dr. Malcolm Skillicorn, for his outstanding contribution to the work of the residuary body since its inception. Dr. Skillicorn will be taking up an appointment as chairman of the North Birmingham district health authority from 1 April. Mr. Tom McDonald will combine the chairmanships of West Midlands and the West Yorkshire residuary bodies during what is expected to be the remaining few months before both are finally dissolved.
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