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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 23 May 1995
DEFENCE
Meteorological Office
Mr. French: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to privatise the Meteorological Office. [24812]
Mr. Freeman: There are no such plans.
Mr. French: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he proposes to meet Professor Julian Hunt, chief executive of the Meteorological Office to discuss the accuracy of weather forecasts. [24814]
Mr. Freeman: My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence maintains regular contact with the chief executive of the Meteorological Office.
Mr. French: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect of introducing competition for the Meteorological Office on the quality of weather forecasts. [24813]
Mr. Freeman: The Meteorological Office and the private sector have been competing for a number of years for commercial contracts for meteorological services. The competition helps to ensure that the Met Office maintains a very high-quality forecasting service.
Base Closures
Mr. Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the MOD bases where closures have been announced in the last five years; and in which parliamentary constituency they are located. [25188]
Mr. Soames: My Department does not hold information in the form requested and it could not be provided without disproportionate cost. I would, however, refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) of 3 May, Official Report, columns 234 38. which listed bases sold by my Department since 1990.
Nuclear Emergencies
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total number of departmental staff and members of the armed services available for mobilisation in the event of a nuclear accident emergency as described at pages 39-40 of the Statement on the Defence Estimates, 1995, Cm. 2800; and what level of training is given to departmental staff on nuclear emergency response. [25263]
Mr. Soames: In addition to a small full-time staff in MOD headquarters, the Nuclear Accident Response Organisation could draw on the skills of many hundreds of personnel across the armed forces and the MOD. Their precise number and specialisation would be dependent on the particular circumstances of an accident but it might include medical experts, health physicists,
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technical/design specialists, radiation monitoring experts, engineering teams and associated logistic and other support staff. In addition to the training given to ensure day-to-day expertise in these functions, appropriate training is also provided to ensure familiarisation with specific procedures relevant to a nuclear accident; the exercises described in the Statement on the Defence Estimates are an essential element in ensuring an effective response organisation.Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment Vessels
Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he is now in a position to announce the agreed final costs for AORO1 and AORO2; and if he will make a statement. [24868]
Mr. Freeman: The total cost to the end of April 1995 to my Department is £154.890 million and £204.701 million, actual prices, for AORO1 and AORO2 respectively. Final costs for both vessels have still to be agreed.
Princess Alexandra Hospital
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the total amount of money spent by his Department on civilians receiving medical treatment at the Princess Alexandra hospital, RAF Wroughton, in each of the last five years. [25598]
Mr. Soames: No separate records are maintained of the costs of treating civilian NHS patients at service hospitals. The element of total running costs at the Princess Alexandra RAF hospital, Wroughton, proportionate to the percentage of patients treated on behalf of the NHS in each of the last five years is as follows:
1990 91: £8,100,000
1991 92: £6,200,000
1992 93: £7,600,000
1993 94: £8,400,000
1994 95: £8,100,000
These figures include fixed costs which would in any case have been incurred in the treatment of service patients. In addition, because of changes in budgetary responsibility and accounting procedures during the period, the costs are not entirely comparable year on year.
Tornado Aircraft
Dr. Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 15 May, Official Report , column 49 , what was the total cost of the damage done to 28 Tornado aircraft based at RAF Coningsby; who will carry out the repairs to the damaged aircraft; when the investigation into the contamination will be concluded; and if he will make a statement on the conclusions of the investigation when he has received it. [25597]
Mr. Soames: Necessary work to allow the aircraft to resume normal operations was conducted by service personnel immediately after the contamination was discovered. Once full and careful consideration has been given to the investigation I will write to the hon. Member.
Tri-service Hospital, Haslar
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated total cost of accommodation at the proposed tri-service hospital at
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Haslar. [25599]Mr. Soames: Existing single accommodation will be made available for the staff of the Royal hospital, Haslar. Although some refurbishment may be necessary, the cost of this work is as yet unquantified. Estimates for the requirement of additional married quarters, which will be met in the short term by hiring property or payment of excess rent allowance, are not yet available, although these costs will be partially offset by savings at current locations.
Personal Protection Weapons
Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the removal of personal protection weapons from soldiers in the Royal Irish Regiment. [25353]
Mr. Soames: There has been no change in our policy on soldiers from the Royal Irish Regiment holding personal protection weapons. The requirement for individual soldiers to retain army-issue weapons is kept under review on a case-by-case basis, and there are no plans to institute a general policy of withdrawing such weapons.
TREASURY
Inflation
Sir Thomas Arnold: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to alter the inflationtarget. [24876]
Mr. Kenneth Clarke: The Government's aim is to keep underlying inflation in the range 1 to 4 per cent. and to bring it down into the lower half of this range by the end of the present Parliament. I have no plans to change the objective for that period.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether it remains his policy to keep RPIX inflation below 2.5 per cent. at the end of the current Parliament. [24552]
Mr. Nelson: The Government's policy is to keep underlying inflation, as measured by the retail prices index excluding mortgage interest payments, in the range 1 to 4 per cent. and to bring it down to the lower half of the range by the end of the present Parliament.
Capital Gains Tax
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate for 1995 96 the number of individuals whose gross income and capital gains exceed (a) £70,000, (b) £80,000 and (c) £100,000, in each case specifying the number paying capital gains tax. [25011]
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Sir George Young: Available information is in terms of taxable income and capital gains. Provisional estimates are given in the table:
Number of individual taxpayers, excluding trusts, 1995-96 Taxable income<1> |Total |Paying capital gains and gains<2> over: |tax<3> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ £70,000 |220,000 |19,000 £80,000 |170,000 |17,000 £100,000 |110,000 |14,000 <1> Taxable income is defined as gross income for income tax purposes less those allowances and reliefs which are available at the taxpayer's marginal rate. <2> Taxable gains are chargeable gains net of reliefs and the annual exempt amount. <3> Figures exclude gains made by companies which are included under corporation tax.
Public Expenditure
Mr. Matthew Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Government intend to publish provisional outturn figures for public expenditure in 1994 95. [25997]
Mr. Aitken: The Government propose to replace the annual Cash Limits Outturn White Paper by a comprehensive outturn document covering not just cash limited expenditure but all expenditure within the control total. The aim is to publish the first document in the new early July, a week or so before the normal publication date for the CLOWP. The document will show provisional outturn for 1994 95 for the control total by Department compared with plans, and for individual votes and voted cash limits, non- voted cash limits, external financing limits, and gross and net running costs limits compared with original and final provision.
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update the figures contained in tables 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 and 1.5 of the public expenditure statistical supplement to the Financial Statement and Budget Report 1995 96 to show the outturn for 1994 95 and estimated outturn for 1995 96. [25193]
Mr. Aitken: My answer today to the hon. Member for Southport (Mr. Banks) described the arrangements for publishing provisional outturn data on public expenditure for 1994 95. For 1995 96, following usual practice, forecast outturn figures will be published in the Financial Statement and Budget Report 1996 97 for the control total by Department, and in more detail in the statistical supplement to that report.
Private Nursing Homes
Mr. Hood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with what frequency the Inland Revenue performs spot checks on the accounting practices of owners of private nursing homes. [25488]
Sir George Young [holding answer 22 May 1995]: All businesses are liable to have their accounts inspected by the Inland Revenue and investigations are carried out where there is reason to believe the accounts may not be correct. Specific figures relating to nursing homes are not compiled.
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Banks (Tax Relief)
Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been granted in tax relief to United Kingdom banks against possible default on third world debts in each of the last 10 years; and what is the rationale for such tax relief. [25373]
Sir George Young: Provisions by banks operating in the United Kingdom for doubtful sovereign debt--mostly of third world countries, but which may include relatively small amounts for other countries--are estimated to have reduced corporation tax receipts in the last nine years by the following amounts:
|£ million
------------------------------------------
1986-87 |70
1987-88 |190
1988-89 |550
1989-90 |490
1990-91 |880
1991-92 |120
1992-93 |120
1993-94 |120
1994-95 (provisional) |120
Estimates for earlier years are zero or
small.
Third world debt is a feature of banking and losses on sovereign debt represent real losses arising in the normal course of such business. Losses or potential losses on sovereign debt therefore attract relief in broadly the same way as losses or potential losses on trading debts of other businesses.
Exporters
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has asked the Deputy Governor of the Bank of England to substantiate the claim of December 1993 that exporters were profiteering by raising prices excessively instead of increasing sales. [25478]
Mr. Kenneth Clarke: I regularly discuss a wide range of economic issues with both the Governor and Deputy Governor of the Bank of England. Export sales have clearly increased since December 1993, growing by 11 per cent. in 1994, the strongest increase in more than 20 years.
VAT on Spectacles
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the state of discussions between British ophthalmic physicians and his Department relating to the overpayment of tax under European directives; and how much his Department estimates is owed by the Customs and Excise to British opticians in overpaid tax. [25343]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: Customs and Excise met opticians' representatives on 11 May and discussed the matters arising from the recent High Court decision on the VAT liability of supplies of spectacles. Proposals are awaited from the trade representatives on a number of the issues discussed and these will be considered at a further
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meeting planned for mid June. It is difficult to estimate the total amount of tax to be refunded to opticians, because the impact of the High Court decision will vary significantly from business to business; Customs estimate that the figure may be of the order of £250 million including statutory interest.TRADE AND INDUSTRY
South Africa
Mr. Caborn: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will make a statement on the draft negotiating mandate for a new trade regime between the European Union and South Africa; [25610] (2) if he will undertake a study into the effect of the proposed free trade area between the European Union and South Africa on the economies of the other member states of the Southern African Customs Union and the Southern African Development Community. [25609]
Mr. Needham: The draft negotiating directives presented by the European Commission propose that the EU should respond positively if the South African Government were willing to negotiate a bilateral free trade agreement. The Government believe that such an agreement offers the greatest potential for delivering improvements in access to the EU market for South African products and promoting our long-term trade relations.
We therefore support the Commission proposal, on the understanding that any free trade agreement negotiated between the EU and South Africa is compatible with World Trade Organisation rules and takes account of South Africa's regional commitments. I believe that this is in line with the recommendation on the future relationship between the EU and South Africa made in the Trade and Industry Select Committee's report on trade with southern Africa published on 27 July 1994. In the process of negotiation, we will urge the European Commission to take into account the possible effects of such an agreement on the economies of South Africa's neighbours and we will also listen carefully to the views of South Africa's partners in the Southern African Customs Union and the Southern African Development Community.
Balance of Trade
Mr. Milburn: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what has been the balance of trade in oil in 1994 prices for each year since 1978; [25191]
(2) what has been the balance of trade in manufactured goods in 1994 prices for each year since 1978. [25190]
Mr. Needham: The information is published for 1994 by the Central Statistical Office in the "Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics", available in the Library of the House. The information is not available in 1994 prices for other years, although data at 1990 prices is available from the CSO's central shared database, also in the Library of the House.
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AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Trading Standards Services, Cleveland
Mr. Frank Cook: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the applicability of the views attributed to his Department on pages 42 and 43 of "Renewing Local Government in the English Shires" to the future of trading standards services in Cleveland after the division of those services among four unitary authorities as a result of local government reorganisation. [25215]
Mrs. Browning: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Kingswood (Mr. Berry) on 17 May, Official Report , column 283 . The same considerations apply in Cleveland as in Berkshire.
Animal Health and Veterinary Group
Mr. William Ross: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now publish the Lebrecht report. [24955]
Mrs. Browning: This report on an internal management review of the functions and organisation of the Ministry's animal health and veterinary group was not written with publication in mind and is not suitable for publication. My right hon. Friend did, however, issue a consultation document last October setting out the basis for his provisional conclusions following the review and took the many comments received into account in reaching the decisions that he announced in a written answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester(Mr. French) on 4 May.
Fisheries
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why Irish vessels currently enjoy fishing rights off Spitzbergen. [25383]
Mr. Jack: For 1995 the European Union has a cod quota of 24,220 tonnes at Spitzbergen and Bear island. In accordance with the traditional allocation key, Council Regulation 3362/94 divides this between the member states as follows:
|Tonnes
--------------------------------------------------------------------
France |2,130
Germany |4,820
Portugal |2,390
Spain |11,500
United Kingdom |3,130
Other member states except France, Germany, Portugal,
Spain, United Kingdom, Finland and Sweden |250
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what red fish quotas were offered in Iceland waters in 1994 and 1995 to (a) Britain and (b) Germany; which British firms were offered catches there by his Ministry; and whether they took up the offer. [25384]
Mr. Jack: Germany and the United Kingdom were allocated quotas for respectively 1690 tonnes and 1160 tonnes of red fish in Icelandic waters for both 1994 and 1995. The Fish Producers Organisation of Grimsby was offered the UK quota for 1994 but did not take up the
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opportunity. For 1995 the United Kingdom quota has not yet been allocated; it is not available before 1 July each year.Regional Service Survey
Mr. Michael Brown: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the results of the recent survey of satisfaction with the levels of service his Department's regional organisation provides for the farming public. [26098]
Mr. Waldegrave: In accordance with the principles of the citizens charter, a survey of customers of the MAFF regional service centre was carried out by a firm of independent consultants in early 1995. The overall results are very positive and show that nearly nine in 10 customers felt their MAFF centre had done a good, very good or excellent job in dealing with their most recent scheme or licence application. We will be considering carefully what can be done to address those areas where our customers feel that there is scope for improvement in our performance.
I have placed copies of the consultants' report in the Library of the House.
Baby Milk
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consultations she has had with community nurses, health visitors, midwives and other professionally involved groups concerning the effect of banning the advertising of baby milk within national health service premises on levels of breast feeding commencement; and if she will make a statement. [25605]
Mrs. Browning [holding answer 22 May 1995]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the right hon. Member for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale(Sir D. Steel) on 14 March 1995, Official Report, columns 550-51.
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what information he has on which European Union member states permit the advertisingof baby milk (a) in generally available media and (b) health- specific premises on what dates changes in permission for either category of advertising was amended in either direction what subsequent changes occurred in breast feeding commencement levels; and if she will make a statement. [25604]
Mrs. Browning [holding answer 22 May 1995]: I have no such information; there is no requirement on member states to supply it to one another.
Spanish Veterinary Inspections
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 24 April, Official Report , column 379 , how many vets are employed by the Spanish authorities; how many of these have undertaken spot checks of sheep being imported into Spain; how many spot checks were undertaken by the Spanish authorities in the last year for which figures are available; and what assessment he has made as to the extent to which the welfare of British sheep exported to Spain is adequately provided for. [21851]
Mrs. Browning [holding answer 22 May 1995]: The level of spot checking and the resources devoted to it are matters for the Spanish authorities. We maintain contact
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with them, and understand from them that they are satisfied on the basis of their checks that the animals' welfare is satisfactorily protected.Live Animal Exports
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many inspections of live animals for export were made by Ministry vets at (a) Shoreham and (b) Brightlingsea, since 1 January. [24736]
Mrs. Browning [holding answer 18 May 1995]: Between 1 January and 12 May there were 60 sailings from Shoreham carrying animals for slaughter or for further fattening and 70 from Brightlingsea. Veterinary inspectors were present at the ports for each sailing, when visual checks were made of the animals on board lorries and export paperwork checked. Veterinary inspection of animals for fitness to travel is carried out at point of departure, not at the port.
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many (a) calves and (b) sheep arriving at (i) Shoreham and (ii) Plymouth, in the period between 1 November 1994 and 30 April 1995 were(1) dead on arrival, (2) judged to be unfit to travel and(3) destroyed because of injury or disease; and if he will make a statement. [24735]
Mrs. Browning [holding answer 16 May 1995]: The figures for the period specified are as follows:
Number of animals
Dead on arrivaUnfit to traveDestroyed
Port |calves|sheep |calves|sheep |calves|sheep
----------------------------------------------------------
Shoreham |none |1 |1 |2 |none |none
Plymouth |none |none |none |none |none |none
PRIME MINISTER
North-West Kent
Q7. Mr. Dunn: To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to visit north-west Kent. [23845]
The Prime Minister: Although I have no current plans to do so, I hope such a visit will be possible in the near future.
Scotland
Q8. Mr. David Marshall: To ask the Prime Minister when he next intends to visit Scotland. [23846]
The Prime Minister: I have at present no plans to do so.
Engagements
Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 23 May 1995. [24304]
Sir Peter Tapsell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 23 May. [24304]
The Prime Minister: This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.
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Intelligence and Security Committee
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Prime Minister whether he has yet received a report from the Intelligence and Security Committee on the discharge of its functions under the Intelligence Services Act 1994. [25998]
The Prime Minister: I can confirm that I have recently received an interim report from the Intelligence and Security Committee, setting out the broad pattern of its work to date and outlining some of its future priorities for inquiry. I do not consider that the report contains any matter whose publication would be prejudicial to the continued discharge of the functions of the Secret Intelligence Service, Security Service or Government Communications Headquarters, and I have therefore today placed copies of it, as submitted by the Committee, in the Libraries of both Houses.
Nolan Committee
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will seek to extend the recommendations of the Nolan Committee concerning the conduct of Ministers and officials to include the Governor of the Bank of England and all senior members of his staff. [25379]
The Prime Minister: I have no plans to do so.
Antanas Gecas
Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Prime Minister for what period Antanas Gecas was employed by British intelligence. [25622]
The Prime Minister: It remains the Government's policy not to provide information on the operations at the security and intelligence agencies.
Majority Shareholdings
Mr. Byers: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list those companies in which the holder of his office is a majority shareholder which (a) are currently in existence and (b) have been wound up in the past five years. [25722]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 22 May 1995]: None.
Bank of England
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Prime Minister if the statement of Government policy set out in paragraph 5 of the Bank of England press release of the text of the Deputy Governor's speech to the City branch of the Institute of Directors on 13 December was authorised by him. [25683]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 29 March 1995 Official Report , column 640 .
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
Recycling
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to introduce recycling programmes as part of the work of the Overseas Development Administration. [24991]
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