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Written Answers to Questions
Friday 13 July 1990
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
PE Teachers
Miss Hoey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will provide details of the number of places for those seeking to train as physical education teachers following the major planning exercise announced in December 1989 ; and whether he has any plans to increase the number of places further.
Mr. Alan Howarth : My right hon. Friend announced aggregate intake numbers for initial teacher training for the three-year period 1991-92 to 1993-94 in April this year. Aggregate intake numbers have been increased for physical education for the triennium and have been set at 750 for each year. There are no plans further to increase the number of places available.
School Meals
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects the school meals census for autumn 1989 to be published.
Mr. Alan Howarth : Information on school meal arrangements is now collected with the annual schools census each January. Information for January 1989 was published in "Statistics of Education Schools 1989", a copy of which is available in the Library.
Research
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what provision is made to cover the overheads of academic research projects funded by the research councils ; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of these provisions in covering real overhead costs.
Mr. Jackson : Under the dual support system, the overhead costs of projects funded by the research councils at universities are met from the universities' general funds.
It is for the Universities Funding Council to advise Government on the adequacy of the public funding it receives and distributes to the universities in the form of block grants in support of research and teaching.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Criminal Injuries Compensation Board
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans there are to recruit and train more staff for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John Patten : Most of the 60 extra staff requested by the chairman of the board and recommended by the Home
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Affairs Select Committee in January (Second Report : Session 1989-90--HC92) are in post and have completed their basic training. The rest are expected to be in post by the end of July.Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when working conditions and staff accommodation in the offices of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board are to be reviewed and modernised.
Mr. John Patten : I understand that the office in Glasgow, where most of the board's staff are based, is already decorated and furnished to a good standard. The board's London offices, which are modern and suit the board's needs, are to be redecorated shortly.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received from organisations concerning the figures used to assess new allocations of staff to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.
Mr. John Patten : We have received no outside representations, but officials have discussed with the Home Office trade union side concerns about the level of output expected now that the board has been given more staff.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to allocate a larger percentage of the staff of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board to London.
Mr. John Patten : The relocation of posts from London to Glasgow was based on our assessment that the board could work more economically and efficiently if as much of its administrative work was transferred to Glasgow as could practically and conveniently be done there. This remains our approach, which is why the 60 new staff have been recruited predominantly in Glasgow. The board, which is responsible for managing its own operations, keeps check of the balance of staff and work between the two offices.
Rape
Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what has been the trend in the number of reported rape cases in the last 10 years ;
(2) what is his estimate of the number of rapes each year which are not reported.
Mr. John Patten : The numbers of offences of rape recorded by the police in England and Wales in the years 1979 to 1988 are published in table 2.9 of the "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, 1988" (Cm 847) ; the figure for 1989 is published in Home Office Statistical Bulletin 10/90.
Information on reporting and recording of sexual offences is published in table A.2 of "The 1988 British Crime Survey" (Home Office research study 111) and on rape in Table 2 of "Concerns about rape" (Home Office research study 106). Copies of all these publications are available in the Library.
Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to introduce legislation to protect the rights of the victim in rape cases in order to achieve a decrease in the number of unreported rape cases.
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Mr. John Patten : We have already strengthened and extended the law against public identification of complainants in rape cases ; and we have changed the rules of court to stop routine disclosure of the addresses of witnesses on their statements. We are considering with the Law Society what more can be done to prevent misuse of certain witness statements which must be given to the defendant.Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the minimum sentence for rape at present ; and whether there are any plans to change this.
Mr. John Patten : The maximum penalty for rape is life imprisonment. The Court of Appeal has given detailed guidance on sentencing for rape, which indicates that a sentence of five years imprisonment should be the starting point for an adult found guilty of rape, without any aggravating or mitigating features. We have no plans to introduce a minimum penalty.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Industrial Deaths
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Attorney-General if, following the referral of the death of Paul Elvin at Euston station in 1988 to the Crown prosecution service, he will make a statement about his intentions with regard to other cases of industrial death where there is an alleged element of criminal negligence.
The Attorney-General : It is the responsibility of the investigating authority to determine whether the alleged element of criminal negligence is so serious that the Crown Prosecution Service should be invited to consider the eveidence. In the case of Paul Elvin no new inquiry was began but, exceptionally, I asked the Director of Public Prosecutions himself to consider the evidence that was prepared for the purposes of a prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive under the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act.
TRANSPORT
Northolt Airport
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to change current usage of Northolt airport ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : RAF Northolt is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence. The airfield is also used by business aircraft, and the 1985 airports policy White Paper identified Northolt as having an important role to play in helping to meet demand for business aviation facilities in the London area. In line with that, we are seeking to establish a civil aviation enclave at Northolt, to serve the needs of the business aviation user more effectively.
Marine Surveyors
Sir John Farr : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list in the Official Report a summary of the results of the seven prosecutions initiated by his Department's marine surveyors, referred to in his reply to the hon. Member for Harborough on 26 April, Official Report, column 264.
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Mr. McLoughlin : The results of the seven prosecutions referred to in my reply to the hon. Member for Harborough on 26 April, Official Report, column 264, were as follows :
(i) failure to supply master with a dangerous goods declaration for explosives, contravention of Classification and Labelling of Explosives Regulations 1983 : shipper fined £1,000, owners fined £250, £150 and £100 on three counts ;
(ii) failure to carry a valid load line certificates : owner fined £25 ;
(iii) defective lifeboats, and officers certificate lacking suitable dangerous cargo endorsements : master fined £7,500, with £3, 000 costs ;
(iv) defects identified by port state control inspection : case dropped ;
(v) failure to comply with MS (Radio) (Fishing Vessel) Rules 1974 : case dropped ;
(vi) prosecution of master and owners under the Deck Officer Regulations and Load Line Act 1967 : case still under consideration ;
(vii) prosecution of master and owners for carrying more than 12 pasengers without a passenger certificate : case still under consideration.
United Kingdom Shipping
Sir John Farr : To ask the Secretary of Transport, pursuant to his replies of 18 April, Official Report, columns 914-15, what factors account for the reduction in the British fleet and in employment in the United Kingdom shipping industry being greater than the world average.
Mr. McLoughlin : The oversupply of ships on a world scale reduced the financial returns available from shipping, and British operators withdrew from the unprofitable sectors more rapidly than some of their foreign counterparts. Some other British operators have seen commercial advantage in flagging out to other registers. Changes in trading patterns have also had a particular effect on the British shipping industry, firstly because the availability of North sea oil reduced the need for imports from further afield, and secondly because a drop in oil prices resulted in a reduction in exploration related shipping activity from 1984-85.
The joint working party with the General Council of British Shipping announced by my right hon. Friend on 24 May at column 288 is including in its work an assessment of the competitive position of the British shipping industry and factors which may currently deter owners from placing their ships on the British register.
United Kingdom Shipping
Sir John Farr : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 18 April, Official Report, columns 914-15, if he will take steps to reduce the cost disadvantages facing United Kingdom shipping operators.
Mr. McLoughlin : My right hon. Friend announced, on 24 May, Official Report, column 288, the setting up of a joint working party with the General Council of British Shipping to take a wide look at the circumstances in which the British shipping industry operates, including the main obstacles to the use of the British flag. When the working party has reported we will consider what action, if any, should be taken.
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Runways, Heathrow
Mr. Wilshire : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has any plans to authorise mixed mode runway use at Heathrow airport ; and whether he has commissioned any research or computer modelling on this matter.
Mr. McLoughlin : I have no plans to do so, but this is one of a number of issues that my officials are discussing with the CAA.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Per Capita Income
Sir David Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the average per capita income of the low-income countries, excluding China and India, has been for each of the last 10 years ; and what are the corresponding figures for the industrialised market economy countries.
Mrs. Chalker : The average gnp per capita for the years 1979-88 of (1) the countries classified by OECD as low-income countries (excluding China and India) and (2) the 17 members of the OECD's development assistance committee was :
Year |Low income |Development
| countries |Assistance
| (excluding|Committee
| China and |member
| India) |countries
| GNP per |GNP per
| capita |capita
| US dollars|US dollars
------------------------------------------------
1979 |264 |9,674
1980 |391 |10,694
1981 |371 |10,740
1982 |348 |10,643
1983 |315 |10,998
1984 |237 |11,551
1985 |313 |12,150
1986 |323 |14,771
1987 |263 |17,033
1988 |344 |18,911
Sources:
OECD-DAC Chairman's Report, 1981-89.
World Bank Atlas 1989.
The low-income group has included different countries during the 10 years, both because of changes in individual countries' economic performance and because of revaluations in the per capita GNP threshhold for classification as a low-income country.
ENVIRONMENT
World Heritage Sites
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he is giving to the designation as World Heritage sites of (a) the Cairngorms area, and (b) other areas.
Mr. Trippier : It is in the first instance for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland to consider whether application should be made for World Heritage listing for the Cairngorms area.
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The Lake District has been nominated for inclusion on the list this year and will be considered by the World Heritage Committee in December. Other possible future nominations are currently being reviewed by a group of experts chaired by English Heritage.National Rivers Authority
Sir John Farr : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the authorised staff establishment of the National Rivers Authority headquarters (a) at its formation, (b) currently and (c) projected.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The Government's view was originally that, at least for an initial period, the National Rivers Authority head office should not exceed 60 staff. Following further consideration we agreed that a study by consultants should be commissioned to review the optimum size of the head office, and that meanwhile an additional 21 staff could be recruited to meet particularly urgent needs. The authority is in the process of filling these additional posts, and the study is under way.
Commissioners for Local Administration
Sir Thomas Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he gives any guidance to commissioners for local adminstration about holding meetings at the request of a local authority, pursuant to a report into its activities.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : No. Commissioners for Local Administration (local ombudsman) are entirely independent of Government in their handling of individual case.
Heathrow Airport
Mr. Wilshire : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what services are provided on behalf of the Government by local authorties at Heathrow airport.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : No local authority acts as agent for the Government in providing services at Heathrow airport ; such functions as they discharge there are their own responsibility.
Housing Associations
Mr. Soley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will review the procedure for registering housing associations and particularly those that are friendly societies and have links with the development industry.
Mr. Michael Spicer : The registration of housing associations is the statutory responsibility of the Housing Corporation. Under the statute, the corporation has power to register only those associations, including those which are friendly societies, which do not trade for profit.
Construction Agreements
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list all construction agreements and contracts entered into by his Department in the years 1985, 1986 and 1987.
Mr. Chope : No. In the period referred to, my department placed in excess of 50,000 contracts for building and construction work.
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Textile Finishers
Mr. Dover : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will make a statement on the problems arising in textile finishers' effluent from the presence of pentacholorophenol or its salts in imported grey fabric which is processed in the United Kingdom ;
(2) if he will take steps to ensure that his pollution inspectorate applies the same regulations on textile finishers' effluent as in other European Economic Community countries.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment has asked me to reply.
The EC Dangerous Substances Directive 86/280/EEC has, since 1 January 1988, required all surface waters to meet a quality standard in respect of pentachlorophenol (PCP) of 2 microgrammes per litre. The Commission will require uniform compliance with the directive across the Community.
Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution, on behalf of the Secretary of State, is currently reviewing a number of trade effluent consents granted to companies where PCP may be present in their effluent. In reviewing these discharges, the Department is obliged to consider the representations of both the discharger and the statutory sewage undertaker as well as having regard to the need to ensure that the quality standard is met in the eventual receiving water before reaching his decision.
However, many existing waters already contain traces of PCP and this constrains further discharges, in some cases ruling out any further discharges from existing or proposed processes. Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution will therefore ensure that, as required by article 3 of the directive, the best technical means available are applied to the treatment of any discharge. For both existing and new discharges there are a number of practical measures and options available to enable the required discharge condition and therefore the quality standard in the relevant receiving water to be achieved.
Local Authorities (Accountability)
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to introduce any proposals to allow local councils to be more accountable to the local people other than by local elections ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Chope [holding answer, 9 July 1990] : One of the principal aims of the changes in local government finance introduced in April was to increase local accountability.
PRIME MINISTER
Child Care
Mr. Leighton : To ask the Prime Minister which Government Departments made allocations for child care facilities in their 1989-90 public expenditure bids ; and what proportion of each Department's bid this constituted.
The Prime Minister : Information on the extent to which departments made public expenditure provision in 1989-90 for child care facilities for their staff is not held centrally.
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There are already four nurseries in operation in Departments and agencies with a further three planned to open later this year.Parliamentary Committees
Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list those occasions since 1979 on which a Minister has refused to give evidence to departmental or other parliamentary committees.
The Prime Minister : This information is not held centrally.
Advisers
Mr. John Evans : To ask the Prime Minister how many of her advisers paid from public funds who are not career civil servants were appointed following employment in the public relations field immediately before their employment in her office.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Birmingham Six
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he last discussed the question of the Birmingham Six with the Irish Government.
Mr. Cope : This is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary and is not within the ambit of the Anglo-Irish Agreement, but the matter was referred to during a meeting of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference on 30 November 1989.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Documents
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of and how many documents in 1989 he estimates were (a) passed on to the Public Record Office intact, (b) passed on to the Public Record Office in censored form, (c) retained by his Department in full, (d) retained by his Department in part, (e) destroyed, (f) otherwise disposed of and (g) otherwise unaccounted for.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 2 July 1990] : A total of 11,149 documents, in the form of individual files, was passed to the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) in 1989 by Northern Ireland Departments and the Northern Ireland Office. The censoring of files is not permitted and they must be transferred in their entirety since it is not permitted to retain files in part. Files not passed to PRONI are retained by the Departments and filed judged by PRONI not to merit permanent preservation are destroyed. While our procedures provide that all records are accounted for, the percentage of documents retained or destroyed could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
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Plastic Bullets
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many plastic bullets were fired in Northern Ireland in 1989 ; in what circumstances and in what location the bullets were fired ; and how many persons were injured as a result.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 4 July 1990] : A total of 937 plastic baton rounds were fired in 1989. I shall write to the hon. Member giving the detail requested and place a copy of my letter in the Library.
Sexual Offences
Mr. Livingstone : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will call for a report from the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary as to what inquiries have been made into the suicides of two men in late 1989 following their arrest on charges related to their homosexual activities.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 6 July 1990] : The Chief Constable has advised me that in July 1989 two men committed suicide following police investigations into their involvement in offences of gross indecency. Inquiries were made by the police into the circumstances of these deaths and full reports were made to the appropriate coroner who at the inquest into each death concluded that death was by drowning.
CIVIL SERVICE
Government Forms
Mr. Allan Stewart : To ask the Minister for the Civil Service if he will list those recommendations of the review report on the forms Government send to business which have now been implemented ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Luce : Departments have been encouraged to implement those recommendations of the review which apply to them and a full report on achievements will be included in the next progress report on forms to the Prime Minister in autumn 1991. More generally, since 1982, 171,309 forms have been reviewed of which 36,004 have been scrapped and 57,785 redesigned. This has resulted in savings of approximately £15 million.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Energy Bills (VAT)
Mr. French : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the expected yield from the imposition of value added tax on (a) gas and (b) electricity bills where supplies are made to domestic premises for business purposes.
Mr. Ryder : The revenue yield will be negligible. This is because many businesses operating from domestic premises will continue to receive zero-rated supplies under arrangements designed to simplify the administration of taxing fuel and power. VAT-registered businesses which are charged tax will be able to reclaim it under the input tax credit mechanism.
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Civil Servants
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants in his Department of the rank of principal or equivalent and above are graduates of Oxford and Cambridge ; and how many are graduates of other universities.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 12 July 1990] : The Treasury has 130 graduates of Oxford or Cambridge and 103 from other universities or polytechnics.
Inland Revenue (Relocation)
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the decision to relocate 1,800 Inland Revenue jobs from London and the south-east in 1992, what information he has regarding the projected number of vacancies in the network in London and the south-east at the time of the main move ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lilley [holding answer 12 July 1990] : It was announced on 24 July, at column 542, and 22 November 1989 at columns 1-2, that the work of 1,600 PAYE staff in London and the south-east would be moved gradually to other parts of the United Kingdom over the period November 1989 to mid-1992.
The programme was undertaken, in part, to tackle the effects of staff turnover rather than the level of vacancies, which in 1989 was low.
THE ARTS
Theatres, Liverpool
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Minister of the Arts whether he intends to meet the Merseyside Arts Association and the Arts Council to discuss the future funding of professional theatre in Liverpool.
Mr. Luce : This is a matter for the Arts Council and Merseyside Arts.
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