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National Engineering Laboratory
Mr. Ingram : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the main planning authority for development of the national engineering laboratory site at East Kilbride.
Mr. Maude : The East Kilbride district council is the statutory planning authority for the area in which the national engineering laboratory is situated.
North Peckham Task Force
Ms. Harman : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will specify the feasibility studies undertaken by the north Peckham task force ; how much each cost ; and what was the outcome of each study.
Mr. Newton : Since 30 November 1988, out of a total of 95 projects approved at a cost to the task force of £2,570,113, the following were undertaken as feasibility studies :
Technobus
£6,250 was paid to South Bank polytechnic for research into the cost of setting up a bus which would deliver new technology training on local estates. The report was completed, and circulated to interested parties, but in view of the setting up and running costs (£120,000 in the first year) the task force decided not to proceed with the scheme.
Peckham Industrial Association
£3,500 was paid to this organisation to look into the viability of converting disused shipping containers into low cost portable units for community use. In the light of the feasibility study the task force took no further action.
Sojourner Truth Youth Association (STYA)
The task force has paid for two studies on behalf of this local black organisation. Community Land and Workspace Ltd. (CLAWS) were given £1,500 to prepare a study into the use of St. Luke's school as a multifunctional base. The results were passed to STYA to use as a basis to support their bid to Southwark council for funds to convert the school. In addition £9,941 went to First Step Associates to look at the
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viability of a number of training proposals that STYA intend to run. Discussions with STYA are continuing with a view to developing the training aspects of the project.City Technology Centre
£13,000 was given to Science City to look into the feasibility of setting up high tech workspace units in the task force area. The report was completed and passed to the task force, and the key proposal of seedcorn investment funding was adopted by the Peckham Enterprise centre, funded by the task force.
URBED
£27,370 was provided to this consultancy to develop a strategy to help reverse the decline of Rye lane as a shopping centre. The report was recently completed and the task force has provided funding to the Peckham Traders Association, one of whose key aims is to implement the URBED recommendations, working closely with the council and other bodies. In addition the task force is talking to URBED about further work.
Southwark Architects
£3,000 was paid to Southwark council to prepare a report into the development of a community training facility in the Gloucester grove estate on behalf of the Gloucester Grove Tenants Association. The report has been prepared, but detailed cosings are still being awaited, before exploring possible funding avenues.
Forest of London
£4,500 has been approved to this group to look into the feasibility of running a training project in arboriculture and landscaping. The task force awaits the final report.
Southwark Chamber of Commerce
£1,000 was paid to this group for research into the costs and possible funding sources of setting up a tourist information centre in Southwark. Subsequently, with help from the City action team, a tourist information centre was established in north Southwark. LENTA
£27,000 was paid to LENTA to carry out a study into four sites in the Peckham area (The Spike, Melon road, the LEB sub-station, the Lomond grove business centre) with potential for use as managed workspace. Of these sites, the task force is still pursuing Melon road and the Spike in consultation with the council and other bodies ; the Lomond grove centre became the Camberwell business centre under the direct control of LENTA ; the task force decided not to take any further action on the LEB building.
Ms. Harman : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster for how long the north Peckham task force will be continuing with its work.
Mr. Newton : The task force continues to make good progress. In common with all Government task forces it is not intended to be permanent. There are however no plans at present for its closure.
Ms. Harman : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the budget of expenditure on local projects by the north Peckham task force in (a) 1988-89, (b) 1989-90, (c) 1990-91 and (d) 1991-92.
Mr. Newton : The north Peckham task force in common with the other Government task forces does not have an individual budget. It does, however, have access to a common budget for all task forces which is £16 million for 1988-89 and has been set at £18.5 million for 1989-90. Figures for 1990-91 and 1991-92 will remain at similar levels.
Ms. Harman : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) if he will list in respect of the north Peckham
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task force (a) the local projects supported, (b) the amount of money committed to each project and (c) the amount of committed money spent on each project ;(2) if he will state in respect of each project supported by the north Peckham task force the amount of money (a) committed and (b) spent by (i) the task force, (ii) other government sources, (iii) the London borough of Southwark, (iv) the Inner London Education Authority, (v) the Housing Corporation, (vi) English Heritage,(vii) any other public sources and (viii) any other private sources.
Mr. Newton : I will write to the hon. Member.
Ms. Harman : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what were the objectives of the north Peckham task force when it was first set up ; and whether those objectives have been changed during the course of its work.
Mr. Newton : The main objectives, which the north Peckham task force shares with the other 16 task forces, are to :
--provide more jobs for local people by identifying and removing impediments to their recruitment by local employers, and by encouraging local enterprise development.
--encourage and facilitate enterprise by local people through the provision of enterprise training, financial and managerial assistance.
--improve the employability of local people, including those about to enter the labour market, by training programmes aimed at specific employment opportunities or identified gaps in the labour market. --support initiatives designed to improve the environment, the provision of community services and to reduce the level of crime where these can be linked to the reintegration of local people into local economic activity.
The objectives have not been changed.
Ms. Harman : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will give the names and biographical details of each member of (a) the north Peckham task force community forum and (b) the north Peckham task force community forum working party.
Mr. Newton : These organisations are independent bodies which are not related to the north Peckham task force. The information requested is a matter for the organisations themselves.
Wool
Mr. Madden : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he plans to continue the levy upon the wool textile industry for export promotion administered by the Wool Textile Export Corporation ; how much has been raised by the levy in each of the last five years ; what representations he has received about any proposal to abolish the levy ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : It was announced in the White Paper "Releasing Enterprise" (Cm. 512) on 2 November that there would be consultation on the future of the wool textile industry (export promotion) levy. A consultation period lasting three months, ending on 31 January 1989, has now begun. Thereafter, Ministers will reach a decision on whether the levy should continue in its current statutory form and, if appropriate, lay proposals before Parliament. Representations have been received by
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officials from the National Wool Textile Export Corporation. The following amounts have been raised by the levy in the last five financial years :Year ending 31 March |£ --------------------------------------------------------------- 1984 |331,136 1985 |346,406 1986 |380,103 1987 |405,045 1988 |424,811
British Steel
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster why certain households were excluded from the direct mailing shot giving details of the British Steel share offer.
Mr. Atkins : The direct mail shot for the British Steel offer was sent to existing shareholders in major United Kingdom companies. All members of the public were able to receive information by registering with the Share Information Office.
Landfill
Mr. Butterfill : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps the Government are taking to promote and encourage landfill projects ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Trippier : I have been asked to reply because my Department is responsible for policy on the reclamation and reuse of derelict and vacant land in England.
Urban development corporations have been established to take concerted action in some of the areas worst affected by vacancy and dereliction. City grant can support private sector reclamation in the inner cities. Derelict land grant is available to the private sector outside the inner cities and to local authorities throughout England. Local authorities' inner area programmes, supported by urban programme grants, also make a contribution to reclamation in the inner cities. Together, these four regimes are expected to spend some £200 million on reclamation projects in the current financial year.
NORTHERN IRELAND
School Visits
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which of the primary schools in the city of Armagh organised visits to the following locations during the past academic year (a) site of the battle of Benburb, (b) site of the battle of the Diamond, (c) Navan fort, (d) Armagh planetarium, (e) county museum, The Mall, Armagh, (f) Regimental museum, College hill, Armagh, (g) St. Patrick's cathedral, Armagh and (h) St. Patrick's Roman Catholic cathedral, Armagh.
Dr. Mawhinney : The information is as follows :
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|Navan Fort |Armagh Planetarium |Armagh County Museum |St. Patrick's Cathedral|St. Patrick's Roman
|Catholic Cathedral
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Armagh Christian Brothers |- |Yes |Yes |Yes |Yes
Armstrong |- |Yes |Yes |Yes |-
Drelincourt Infants |- |- |Yes |- |-
Mount St. Catherine's Convent |Yes |Yes |Yes |Yes |Yes
St. Malachy's Boys' |Yes |- |Yes |- |-
St. Patrick's |Yes |- |Yes |Yes |Yes
No schools visited the sites of the battles of Benburb or the Diamond or the Regimental museum.
Police
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the level of community policing in the West Winds estate, Newtownards ; what are the proposals for the future of policing in this estate ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Ian Stewart : Deployment of the RUC is a matter for the Chief Constable, but I understand that a neighbourhood constable is assigned to this estate who will continue to give attention to it, and that attention is also given by divisional mobile patrols.
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the period each day that Comber Royal Ulster Constabulary station is operational ; what proposals there are for the future of this Royal Ulster Constabulary station ; and if he will make a statement on policing in Comber district.
Mr. Ian Stewart : The future of Comber RUC station is a matter for the Chief Constable. I understand that the
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station is open to the public from 9 am to 11 am and from 5 pm to 7 pm each day, and that attention is also given to the Comber area by divisional mobile patrols.Short Brothers plc
Mr. Jim Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the likely effects of the proposed privatisation of Shorts on the company's FJX short-haul jet project ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Viggers : The decision on whether or not to proceed with the development of the FJX will be a matter for the purchaser of the company. There is not yet enough information available from the company on the FJX project for decisions to be made. The future of the project will be decided within the context of privatisation.
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
Mr. Jim Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the Department of Health and Social Services intends to issue guidance to doctors in Northern Ireland on the treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Needham : No. It is not the Department's practice to issue directions on clinical practice to doctors.
Floods
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what sums of public money were expended on repairs to Housing Executive dwellings which were needed as a result of damage caused by the floods of October 1987.
Mr. Needham : This is a matter for the chairman of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive who has advised me that approximately £315, 000 was spent on repairs to Executive dwellings, largely in Strabane and Omagh.
Rathlin Island
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether consideration has been given to the possibility of a joint electricity and telephone cable link between Rathlin island and the mainland ; and what conclusions have been reached.
Mr. Viggers [holding answer 7 December 1988] : No. I understand that such a link would not be practicable ; amongst other reasons, the electricity cable would be likely to cause interference to any telephone cable laid in close proximity.
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has received a report of the results of Northern Ireland Electricity's survey regarding the possible supply of mains electricity to Rathlin island ; and what further discussions he has had with Northern Ireland Electricity regarding the implications of the results.
Mr. Viggers [holding answer 7 December 1988] : No. This is a matter in the first instance for consideration by the board of Northern Ireland Electricity. I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to a question by the right hon. Member for Strangford (Mr. Taylor) on 7 December 1988, at column 195.
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on what consideration is being given to funding a scheme to provide Rathlin island with mains electricity ; and whether such consideration includes the possibility of European regional fund assistance.
Mr. Viggers [holding answer 7 December 1988] : Various methods of providing Rathlin island with a mains supply are currently being examined by Northern Ireland Electricity. Consideration of the economic viability of these will take account of the possibility of European regional development fund assistance.
PRIME MINISTER
Security Services
Q16. Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister whether she has any plans to bring forward legislation to put MI6, military intelligence and other security services other than MI5, on a statutory footing.
The Prime Minister : The Government have no plans to introduce further legislation covering the security and intelligence services.
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Vice-President (European Commission)
Q53. Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister why and in what particular respects considerable experience of Cabinet Office forms has been a factor in the nomination for vice-president of the European Commission.
The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 1 December 1988 at column 345.
Sunday Trading
Q88. Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Prime Minister if she will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the implications for parliamentary sovereignty of the decision of the European Court of Justice to hear cases on the legality of the United Kingdom's Sunday trading laws ; and if she will make a statement.
The Green Gauntlet"
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Prime Minister what response she plans to make to the 30 point plan for environmental improvement in the United Kingdom set out in "The Green Gauntlet" document launched collectively by the Worldwide Fund for Nature, Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace on 20 November.
The Prime Minister : We shall consider the views expressed in "The Green Gauntlet" alongside those of other interests as we take forward our policies of safeguarding the environment for those who come after us.
Engagements
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 December.
Mr. Mans : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 December.
Mr. Anthony Coombs : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 December.
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 December.
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 December.
Mr. Mullin : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 December.
Mr. Stern : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 December.
Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 December.
Mr. Pike : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 December.
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 December.
Mr. Cran : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 December.
Mr. Ian Taylor : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 December.
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Mr. Sumberg : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 December.
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 December.
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 December.
Mr. Riddick : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 December.
The Prime Minister : The Soviet ambassador called on me to deliver a message from President Gorbachev this morning. Later I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today, and will be addressing the annual meeting of the Per Cent Club.
Advisers
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Prime Minister if, pursuant to her reply of 1 December, Official Report, columns 345-48, she will state the current salary or, where appropriate, expenses of each of the full and part-time advisers attached to her office.
The Prime Minister : I have nothing to add to the answer that I gave the hon. Member on 1 December 1988 at column 347.
Foreign Visits
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Prime Minister (1) pursuant to her reply of 1 December, Official Report, column 347, which of her visits abroad in the current year still have open accounts because payments are awaited from media organisations for the cost of their representatives travelling with her on official transport ; (2) pursuant to her reply of 1 December, Official Report, column 347, which of her visits abroad still await the closure of accounts.
The Prime Minister : For practical reasons, accounts relating to my visits overseas remain open for a reasonable length of time. This is because delays in receiving bills or claims or minor queries about the details of transactions, make it impractical to close these accounts too soon.
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