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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 27 March 1991
ENERGY
Energy Statistics
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy, Official Report, 26 February, column 448, when he expects the "Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 1991" to be published.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : It is expected that the 1991 edition of the "Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics" will be published at the end of July, as in previous years. A copy will be placed in the Library.
Gas-fired Boilers
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to bring forward proposals to implement the EC directive on the energy efficiency of gas-fired domestic boilers.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The form and content of this draft directive are still under discussion and it is too early to say when a draft will be ready to be considered for adoption by the Community. If it is adopted, subsequent implementation in this country will proceed within the timetable which will be set in the directive.
Coal
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has any proposals to amend the Coal Industry Act to put an obligation on British Coal to protect existing coal reserves.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Under the Coal Industry Acts 1946 to 1990, the British Coal Corporation has a statutory duty to secure the efficient development of the coal industry. The Government have announced their intention to privatise the coal industry after the next election, which will involve a change to the existing legislation.
Rye House Power Station
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how long the Rye House power station in Hertfordshire has been decommissioned.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The decommissioning of the old Rye House power station was completed by the end of 1982.
Offshore Safety
Mr. Hague : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what progress he has made in implementing the recommendation of the Cullen report into the Piper Alpha disaster that responsibility for the regulation of offshore safety should be transferred to the Health and Safety Executive.
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Mr. Wakeham : I announced on 12 November, Official Report, column 330, the Government's acceptance of all the recommendations for improving offshore safety made by Lord Cullen in his report on the Piper Alpha disaster. These included the establishment of a single regulatory body to deal with offshore safety which, on balance, he recommended should be part of the Health and Safety Executive. It follows that the Health and Safety Commission will be responsible for taking forward Lord Cullen's other recommendations. I also announced in November that ministerial responsibility for offshore safety matters in Great Britain would, with the approval of my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, be transferred to my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Employment.
I am pleased to announce that, following the completion of the necessary detailed preparatory work, and with the agreement of the Health and Safety Commission, the staff of the offshore safety division of the Department of Energy, together with certain staff from the Department of Transport, will, with effect from 1 April 1991, be transferred to the HSE. They will form the core of a new division, which will be considerably strengthened to enable it to continue to enforce the existing regime for the regulation of offshore safety and to carry forward the successful development and implementation of changes recommended by Lord Cullen.
It is clear that a significant increase in the resources available to the HSE will be necessary to enable it to carry out its new responsibilities. Agreement has been reached on this with the HSC and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Employment, who will be assuming ministerial responsibility from the same date, will be seeking authority for the necessary additional resources by means of a supplementary estimate.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Community Charge
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Attorney-General whether he will bring forward proposals for ensuring that community charge non-payers are not recorded on the general register of county court judgments on debts.
The Attorney-General : The regulations that govern the operation of the Register of County Court Judgments do not at present provide for information about community charge non-payers to be recorded, since community charge is enforced through magistrates courts.
Female Circumcision
Mr. Alton : To ask the Attorney-General on how many cases relating to female circumcision the Director of Public Prosecutions has received papers since 1985 ; and if he will make a statement.
The Attorney-General : No papers have been referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions in cases in which a prosecution under the Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act 1985 has been sought. Cases concerning female circumcision may also be prosecuted as offences of causing grievous bodily harm contrary to the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. Information on whether any papers have been referred
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seeking prosecutions under this Act in such circumstances is not, however, readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.Public Record Office
Mr. Jacques Arnold : To ask the Attorney-General whether any changes have been made to the running costs limit for the Public Record Office.
The Attorney-General : The running cost limit for the Public Record Office will be decreased by £69,000 from £16,754,000 to £16,685,000 to compensate for a breach in the running cost limit in 1989-90. This follows the normal practice of reducing the limit for one financial year by the amount of any overspend in the previous year.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Retail Prices Index
Mr. Beith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the year-on percentage change in the retail prices index (a) excluding the community charge and mortgage interest payments for each month since April 1989, (b) excluding rates and mortgage interest payments for each month between June 1987 and April 1989 and (c) excluding mortgage interest payments for each month since June 1987.
Mr. Maples : The following table gives the information :
Retail prices index-percentage change over 12 months
|All items excluding|All items excluding
|mortgage interest |mortgage interest
|payments and |payments
|Community Charge/
|Rates
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1987
June |3.4 |3.5
July |3.5 |3.7
August |3.5 |3.7
September |3.4 |3.5
October |3.7 |3.9
November |3.8 |4.0
December |3.8 |3.9
1988
January |3.5 |3.7
February |3.5 |3.6
March |3.6 |3.8
April |4.0 |4.2
May |4.2 |4.4
June |4.5 |4.7
July |4.8 |5.0
August |4.9 |5.0
September |5.0 |5.2
October |5.0 |5.1
November |5.0 |5.1
December |4.9 |5.1
1989
January |5.4 |5.5
February |5.5 |5.7
March |5.6 |5.7
April |5.9 |5.9
May |5.8 |6.0
June |5.8 |5.9
July |5.7 |5.8
August |5.5 |5.7
September |5.7 |5.8
October |5.9 |6.1
November |5.9 |6.1
December |6.0 |6.1
1990
January |5.9 |6.7
February |6.0 |6.2
March |6.2 |6.3
April |6.5 |7.9
May |7.0 |8.1
June |6.9 |8.2
July |7.0 |8.3
August |7.9 |9.1
September |8.3 |9.5
October |8.4 |9.5
November |8.0 |9.2
December |7.7 |9.0
1991
January |7.4 |8.5
February |7.5 |8.6
Local Government Finance
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish tables for the financing of local authority expenditure in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom, in a form comparable to table 5.13 of Cm 1520, but analysing the financing of local authority expenditure as defined in table 5.6 rather than the financing of local authority expenditure on a national accounts basis.
Mr. Mellor : The table shows the financing of local authority expenditure as defined in table 5.6 of the "Statistical Supplement to the 1990 Autumn Statement"--Cm 1520--for the United Kingdom.
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|1985-86|1986-87|1987-88|1988-89|1989-90
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grants in Aggregate External Finance |13,230 |14,130 |15,160 |15,560 |16,100
Other grants |6,570 |7,200 |7,510 |7,380 |9,200
Rates (net of all rebates) |13,860 |15,720 |17,140 |19,130 |20,780
Trading surpluses, interest and dividend |1,230 |1,330 |1,390 |1,680 |2,090
Rents |3,090 |3,040 |3,040 |3,190 |3,150
Borrowing from central government (PWLB) |5,750 |5,720 |4,090 |4,940 |2,260
from other sources |-4,080 |-5,570 |-2,740 |-4,600 |-940
Other receipts |-150 |510 |-600 |-150 |250
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------
Total income |39,500 |42,080 |44,990 |47,130 |52,890
The footnotes in table 5.13 of Cm 1520 still apply except that "other grants" excludes the repayment of VAT and "other receipts" excludes the imputed income from non-trading capital.
Data are not held in a form which allows a disaggregation of the above table by territory, except at disproportionate cost.
Denationalisation
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the number of jobs (a) in total and (b) as full-time equivalent that have been subject to denationalisation since 1979-80.
Mr. Maude : At least 910,000 jobs in total--at least 885,000 full- time equivalent--have been transferred to the private sector due to privatisation since 1979-80.
Gross Domestic Product Deflators
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the derivation of the financial year gross domestic product market price deflators now used in Cm 1520, together with a similar derivation for the financial year gross domestic product market price deflator without adjustment for the effect of the introduction of the community charge.
Mr. Mellor : The GDP market price deflator for past years is calculated from the ratio of data on cash and constant price figures for GDP at market prices. Figures for the current year and future years are Treasury forecasts. Details of the method used to adjust the GDP deflator series to remove the discontinuity associated with the abolition of domestic rates, are given in paragraphs 7 to 12 of appendix A of the "Statistical Supplement to the 1990 Autumn Statement"--Cm 1520. The unadjusted GDP deflator series consistent with the adjusted figures published in Cm 1520 is :
|Unadjusted
|GDP deflator
|(1989-90=100)
------------------------------------------
1963-64 |11.2
1964-65 |11.7
1965-66 |12.3
1966-67 |12.8
1967-68 |13.2
1968-69 |13.8
1969-70 |14.6
1970-71 |15.8
1971-72 |17.2
1972-73 |18.6
1973-74 |19.9
1974-75 |23.8
1975-76 |29.9
1976-77 |33.9
1977-78 |38.6
1978-79 |42.8
1979-80 |49.9
1980-81 |59.1
1981-82 |64.8
1982-83 |69.4
1983-84 |72.6
1984-85 |76.3
1985-86 |80.4
1986-87 |83.2
1987-88 |87.7
1988-89 |94.1
1989-90 |100.0
1990-91 |106.0
1991-92 |112.4
1992-93 |117.7
1993-94 |121.8
Balance of Payments
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in descending order of balance of payment performance (a) agriculture as a whole, (b) agriculture minus cereals, (c) the cereal sector, (d) coal, (e) steel, (f) electrical, (g) chemical and (h) invisibles.
Mr. Mellor : The balance of payments surplus on invisibles for 1990 is currently estimated at £5.1 billion. Visible trade information is not available for specific commodities on a balance of payments basis : the following table shows 1990 crude trade balances (1) for the nearest classes of goods on an overseas trade statistics basis.
£ billion
SITC<2> |Crude
|Balance<1>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 |Chemicals |+2.3
67 |Iron and steel |+0.4
04 |Cereals and cereal preparations |+0.3
32 |Coal, coke and briquettes |-0.5
716, 75-77 |Electrical machinery |-3.3
|Agriculture<3> |-6.4
|Agriculture<3> less cereals and cereal
| preparations |-6.1
<1> Exports cif less imports fob.
<2> Standard International Trade Classification (Rev. 3).
<3> There is no generally accepted definition of agriculture in the SITC. The figures used cover food and live animals, feed, beverages and other
agricultural products (SITC Sections 0, 1 and 4; Division 22 and parts of Divisions 21, 26, 29, 51, 53, 55 and 59).
Finance Bill
Mr. Ian Taylor : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Finance Bill will be published.
Mr. Mellor : The Finance Bill will be published on Wednesday 17 April.
Civil Service Catering Organisation
Dr. Marek : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the recommendation of the Treasury working party which has looked into the options for the future of the Civil Service Catering Organisation.
Mr. Norman Lamont [holding answer 26 March 1991] : Following an assessment of prospects for the Civil Service Catering
Organisation--CISCO--in a study announced on 4 April 1990, Official Report, columns 608-09 , I have decided that CISCO should be reorganised with the aim of its transfer to the private sector. Reorganisation will include developing CISCO's operations on more commercial lines and concentrating them upon its business activities. It will be for individual Departments and agencies to decide what catering facilities will be made available to staff. In consequence, certain administration-related work which CISCO has undertaken hitherto will pass elsewhere within government, some to Departments generally and some to the Treasury. The changes will give CISCO the opportunity to
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improve the value for money which its services offer both to its Government Department clients and to the individual customers of the staff restaurants which it runs and manages. Competitive tendering of catering contracts will continue, and the free choices made by CISCO's clients and customers will eventually determine whether it will be viable for operation in the private sector or whether the needs of Departments and individual customers will best be met by other catering contractors. I expect the management of this process of change to finish by the end of March 1993.Consultations will take place with the Council of Civil Service Unions and the Joint Co-ordinating Committee for Government Industrial Establishments.
Community Charge
Mr. Beith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to his answer to the right hon. Member for Worthing (Mr. Higgins) of 15 February, Official Report, column 624, if he will estimate the increase in the standard rate of income tax which would be required to yield the same revenue as his revised estimate of the yield of the community charge in 1991-92, following his Budget announcement on measures to reduce the amounts raised in community charge.
Mr. Mellor [holding answer 25 March 1991] : Around4p.
Inflation
Mr. Lawson : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the fall in inflation between 1979 and 1990 (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) in the G7 as a whole, calculating United Kingdom inflation in terms of the underlying rate in each case.
Mr. Norman Lamont [holding answer 25 March 1991] : There are a number of ways of estimating underlying inflation. As measured by the RPI excluding mortgage interest payments and the community charge rates the 12- month rate fell from 12.5 per cent. in 1979 to 7.2 per cent. in 1990. Alternatively as measured by the RPI excluding mortgage interest payments the rate fell from 12.5 per cent. in 1979 to 8.1 per cent. in 1990.
The average 12-month increase in consumer prices for G7 countries in 1990 was 5 per cent. A comparable figure for 1979 is not available.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Reading
Mr. Roger King : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has on the number of books included in the recommended reading lists for children in level 3 which are presently in print.
Mr. Eggar : Of the 24 titles on the booklist for the level 3 reading test, 10 are currently in print, four more will be in print by the end of this week and the remaining 10 will be reprinted over the next few weeks. The titles were chosen on the assumption that every school would have at least one in stock. There is no need for schools to obtain a copy of every title on the list in order to carry out the reading tests.
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National Association of Boys' Clubs
Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the cost of HM inspectors' inspection of the National Association of Boys' Clubs carried out between September 1988 and June 1989.
Mr. Atkins : The approximate direct cost of the inspection was £15, 000.
National Curriculum
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will take steps to promote the discussion of environmental problems, within the geography national curriculum.
Mr. Eggar : My right hon. and learned Friend laid earlier this week the order that contains the attainment targets and programmes of study for geography in the national curriculum. This includes a whole attainment target dealing with environmental geography. Environmental education is also a cross-curricular theme within the national curriculum and other subjects, notably science, will have their part to play in delivering this aspect of education.
Mandatory Awards
Mr. Anthony Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he intends to amend the Education (Mandatory Awards) Regulations 1990 for the current academic year.
Mr. Alan Howarth : My right hon. and learned Friend is laying before the House today the Education (Mandatory Awards) (Amendment) Regulations 1991. Subject to parliamentary approval, these will amend the regulations covering England and Wales for the current academic year in the following respects.
First, they will give effect to the arrangements for architecture students announced by my right hon. and learned Friend on 6 February, Official Report, columns 145-46 . Following the redesignation of architecture courses, they will provide for a mandatory award this year to any eligible student who has not already received a bursary under the temporary scheme established last autumn.
Secondly, they will provide for fees-only or full mandatory awards as appropriate for certain students whose ordinary residence included periods spent in the territory of the former German Democratic Republic before unification. This is a technical change to put these students on the same footing as those whose residential qualifications were acquired elsewhere in EC territory.
Thirdly, the amendments will dispense with the allowance which has hitherto been payable, at discretion, to students who would otherwise suffer undue hardship during the vacation. This allowance is no longer needed, now that the resources available to students have been substantially increased, notably with the introduction of loans. Its removal will ease local education authorities' administration of awards. Students will still be eligible for the extra weeks study allowance if they are required to attend their courses during the vacation.
Finally, the amendments will correct some minor technical ambiguities in the provisions for termly payment
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of fees, for certain exceptional entitlements to a mandatory award following previous award-supported study, and for the scope of the basic disabled student's allowance.WALES
Children's Hospital, Ely
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the relative costs of procedures and operations at the children's ear, nose and throat hospital, Ely, Cardiff relative to the costs of other hospitals for similar (a) outpatient and (b) inpatient cases.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : The information is not held centrally.
Archaeological Explorations
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report the number of instances in Wales whereby landowners have been required to incur the costs of archaeological explorations and/or excavations ; and if he will indicate the total cost of such work.
Sir Wyn Roberts : There is no specific statutory provision to require landowners to meet the costs of archaeological explorations and/or excavations. However, the treatment of archaeological remains can be a material consideration in the determination of planning applications and local planning authorities can impose appropriate conditions to protect monuments or ensure access for archaeologists. In addition voluntary agreements can also be made under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to provide for archaeological works. Such local arrangements are matters for the interested parties and are notified to the Department.
Sheep Farming
Mr. Geraint Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with Welsh farmers about the future of the sheep industry ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. David Hunt : The sheep industry is a regular subject of discussion in the frequent meetings I have with farmers and their representatives. The Government continue to support the industry and last year took full advantage of the European Commission's decision to bring forward the two advance payments of sheep annual premium. In 1991, sheep producers in the LFA will benefit from substantial increases in the rate of HLCA payments, and a supplement of 4 ecu to the sheep annual premium, which together will increase the support payments to producers in Wales by some £18 million.
Knacker Industry
Mr. Geraint Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the Government's policy in Wales on the knacker industry ; and what representations he has received.
Mr. David Hunt : I am aware of the concerns of the knacker industry. It is central to our waste disposal practice and for many years has provided a vital service. A
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Community directive agreed last November lays down harmonised rules about the disposal of animal waste. We have secured, against the opposition of other member states, provision for the knacker trade to continue in its present form at least until 1995 and then the possibility of continuation after that date.Local Government
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what guidelines he intends to publish concerning his proposals for unitary authorities ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. David Hunt : I have made no proposals for unitary authorities and the question of guidelines does not arise. I have received some representations that we should move towards such a system, but I do not intend to make any decisions until I have had the benefit of further discussions with the Welsh local authority associations.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the future of community and town councils.
Mr. David Hunt : Community and town councils play an important role in many parts of Wales. In considering the merits of any proposals put to me for reorganisation of Welsh local government, I intend to take careful account of their implications for the continued effective operation of these councils.
Historic Monuments Agency
Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about the performance targets he is setting for 1991- 92 in relation to the establishment of CADW : the Welsh Historic Monuments executive agency.
Sir Wyn Roberts : CADW : Welsh Historic Monuments will formally become an executive agency under the "next steps" initiative on 1 April this year. It is responsible for the discharge of the Secretary of State's statutory functions relating to the preservation, protection and maintenance of ancient monuments, historic buildings and conservation areas within Wales.
The chief executive will be personally responsible for achieving improvements in efficiency, effectiveness and in customer services. To enable him to exercise that responsibility, my right hon. Friend has made delegations of authority to him, which are set out in the agency's framework document, which defines the respective roles and responsibilities of the agency chief executive, the Welsh Office and the Secretary of State for Wales. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library of the House.
Each year we shall be setting demanding financial and service targets for CADW. The targets set for its first year of operation as an agency, financial year 1991-92, are as follows :
A. Conservation/preservation
(i) Completion to time and within cost of 85 per cent. of priority conservation projects identified in the quinquennial review of properties in care.
(ii) Notification to applicants of decisions on Historic Buildings Council grant applications within 18 weeks of receipt in 85 per cent. of cases.
(iii) Determination of 75 per cent. of scheduled monument consent cases within 90 days.
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(iv) Determination of 75 per cent. of listed building consent referrals in 28 days ; 90 per cent. within 60 days.(v) Complete 12 historic building listing re-surveys in the year, where each re-survey covers one or more community districts. (
(vi) Decide on 30 ancient monuments within the scheduling enhancement programme in the year. This programme is rationalising the existing schedule of ancient monuments and identifying representative samples of different monument classes for scheduling. B. Presentation
(vii) Generate increase in receipts to £2.76 million from the 1990-91 forecast outturn of £2.4 million.
(viii) Maintain overall market share of the top 20 heritage sites in Wales at 66.6 per cent., which represents about 1.4 million visitors to CADW sites.
C. Administration
(ix) Operate within allocated programme and running cost budgets. (
(x) Generate a 1.5 per cent. efficiency improvement against gross running costs covering all of the agency's operations.
Performance against these targets will be assessed in the agency's annual report which we will lay before the House as soon as possible after the year end.
CADW remains part of the Welsh Office, and my right hon. Friend will remain accountable to this House for CADW. Where hon. or right hon. Members have queries about matters relating to the operations of CADW I hope that they will write in the first instance to the chief executive at Brunel house, 2 Fitzalan road, Cardiff CF2 1UY. If Members remain dissatisfied after receiving a reply from CADW they will be able to raise the issue with my right hon. Friend. We will, of course, continue to deal with questions of policy and the provision of resources.
The Secretary of State approved the appointment of Mr. John Carr, the current director of CADW, as the chief executive of the agency for the next three years. We wish the chief executive and his staff every success for the future. I am confident that the enhanced responsibilities which they have will enable them to meet their objectives in respect of the built heritage of Wales while giving better value for money.
Welsh Assembly
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has any plans to establish a regional assembly for Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. David Hunt : The local authorities association and others have pressed upon me the case for such an assembly to perform executive functions in the Principality. I have not reached a final decision on this question, but I have to say that the suggestions that have been put to me pose very considerable problems, not least because of the uncertainties and ambiguities about the respective responsibilities of the Secretary of State and of the assembly and about the powers of the assembly. I am not at present persuaded that the creation of an assembly along these lines would be in the best interests of the people of Wales.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales in his review of the structure and function of local councils in Wales what consideration he has given to the likely cost of establishing a Welsh assembly.
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Mr. David Hunt [holding answer 26 March 1991] : The proposals for an assembly which have been put to me are not sufficiently precise to allow for an accurate costing, but the costs would certainly be considerable. Estimates made in the White Paper "Our Changing Democracy"-- Cm 6348, 1975--increased to allow for inflation, suggest that the annual running costs of an assembly could be between £40 million and £50 million. The "Vote No" lobby issued a booklet in February 1979 which put the cumulative costs of an assembly over a 21-year period. That total, increased for inflation, would now be £1 billion.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Ethiopia
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he is making to the Ethiopian Government concerning the cutting off of the joint relief partnership supply route from Assab port to famine areas of northern Ethiopia since17 March.
Mrs. Chalker : We made representations with the donor group in Addis Ababa on 22 March. On 25 March the Ethiopian Government announced that the southern line would reopen. We understand that convoys began moving again on 26 March, when 40 trucks left Dessie to travel north.
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the total amount of United Kingdom aid for cross-border relief into Tigray and Eritrea given since September 1990 to date ; and what plans he has to give further assistance for cross-border operations.
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