| Previous Section | Home Page |
Partial Test Ban Treaty
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when and where the initial discussions on the amendment conference for the 1963 partial test ban treaty took place ; and when and where he expects the trilateral discussions between the partial test ban treaty depository states to take place.
Mr. Waldegrave : Initial discussions between the depository Governments have taken place over the last
Column 32
two months in London, Washington, Moscow and Geneva. We expect that the depository Governments will meet trilaterally later this month, probably in Geneva.Mr. Douglas Forsyth
Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further representations have been made and when by his Department to the Egyptian Government to hasten the determination of the case brought by Mr. Douglas Forsyth in the Egyptian courts to recover the control and possession of his villa.
Mr. Waldegrave : No representations have been made on this matter since the Egyptian Court of Appeal announced its determination on 22 June 1988. Mr. Forsyth subsequently appealed to the Supreme Court (Court of Cassation) in Cairo. He has been warned by his legal advisers that it may take four or five years for a decision.
Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made by his Department to the Egyptian Government concerning the payment of a tax refund owing to Mr. Douglas Forsyth by the Egyptian Government.
Mr. Waldegrave : A letter from Her Majesty's consul in Cairo to the general director of taxes in the appropriate tax office was given to Mr. Forsyth's legal advisers on 9 May. This asked for payment of the refund to be expedited. On 16 May Mr. Forsyth's legal adviser informed the consul that a cheque had been issued and passed to the Central bank. This has now been credited to Mr. Forsyth's account.
Nuclear Weapons
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out Her Majesty's Government's policy in regard to the future continued requirement for United Kingdom retention of nuclear weapons in the light of threshold and aspirant nuclear weapons states capacity to develop or obtain nuclear weapons.
Mr. Waldegrave : We continue to subscribe to the NATO policy that our security will depend for the foreseeable future on an appropriate mix of nuclear and conventional weapons. We fully observe our obligations under the 1968 non-proliferation treaty including those relating to the non- transferral of nuclear weapons technology.
Environmental Protection
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the United Kingdom ambassador to the United Nations has made any recent representations at the United Nations to promote environmental protection and global initiatives to achieve this.
Mr. Jack : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what specific environmental initiatives the United Kingdom representative at the United Nations supported during 1989.
Mr. Eggar : The United Kingdom permanent representative to the United Nations recently proposed the early
Column 33
negotiation of a convention on climate change and the strengthening of existing United Nations institutions concerned with environmental matters, especially the United Nations environment programme.Missiles
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell), Official Report, 13 April, columns 646-47, what assessment has been made of the SAAD-16 contract ; what contacts have been made with the ambassadors of Egypt, Iraq and Argentina, or their diplomatic representatives in the United Kingdom arising from the Condor-2 missile development ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Waldegrave : We have no reason to doubt the recent media speculation that the SAAD-16 project is connected to Iraq's missile development programme. I made clear to the Iraqi ambassador on 19 April our serious concern over ballistic missile proliferation.
Falkland Fisheries
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress within the Falklands fisheries.
Mr. Waldegrave : The Falklands fishery is in its third successful year. The number of licences issued is regulated to meet conservation targets recommended by the renewable resources assessment group, Imperial college. Accordingly, the Falkland Islands Government reduced the number available for the 1989 second season. Revenue in 1989 is estimated to be £29 million.
Hong Kong
Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to introduce a Bill to incorporate the United Nations declaration of human rights into the law applicable to Hong Kong citizens ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Waldegrave : We are considering with the Hong Kong Government as a matter of priority whether to enact a human rights ordinance in Hong Kong and, if so, what form it should take.
Namibia
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on the South African withdrawal from Namibia.
Mr. Waldegrave : South African forces in Namibia are restricted to base and their phased withdrawal in accordance with the United Nations plan is in progress.
Israel
Mr. Latham : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on his meeting with the Prime Minister of the state of Israel on 23 May.
Mr. Waldegrave : My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State and I had a frank and friendly exchange
Column 34
of views on middle eastern issues with Mr. Shamir. We welcomed his proposals for elections in the occupied territories as a useful step forward, but emphasised the need for progress towards a solution based on territory for peace.Spying
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) accredited diplomats and (b) other foreign nationals given official working permits have been expelled or deported from the United Kingdom in each year since 1979 for activities deemed to be incompatible with their status ; and if he will list them by countries.
Mr. Waldegrave : As the information is not readily available, I will write to the hon. Member once it is to hand.
Vietnamese Refugees
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to other Governments to take Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong.
Mr. Waldegrave : We are working for a successful outcome to the international conference on Indo-Chinese refugees in Geneva on 13 and 14 June, which we hope will result in a major international effort to resettle all the remaining Indo-Chinese refugees in the region, including the 14,300 in Hong Kong, as part of a comprehensive solution to this problem.
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what undertakings he has received from the Chinese Government regarding the treatment and status of Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong after the transfer of sovereignty.
Mr. Waldegrave : The matter has not arisen. It is our firm intention to ensure that the problem of Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong is resolved well before the transfer of sovereignty in 1997.
Listening Devices
Mr. Cran : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether electronic surveillance listening devices are used by his Department or by any organisation or agency acting on its behalf ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Waldegrave : It is not the practice to comment on matters of this sort.
Chemical Weapons
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the Geneva talks on chemical weapons.
Mr. Waldegrave : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend, the Member for Chelmsford (Mr. Burns) on 9 May. The next round of the negotiations begins on 13 June.
Column 35
Ivory
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many seizures of ivory have been made by the Hong Kong authorities from organisations and premises owned by the Poon family.
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if CITES certificates are attached to the export of worked ivory from Hong Kong.
Mr. Waldegrave : CITES certificates are normally attached to exports of worked ivory from Hong Kong because most importing countries require them, although this is not a legal requirement of the Hong Kong Government.
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what value of worked ivory was imported from the United Arab Emirates into Hong Kong in October 1988 ; how many CITES permits were issued for the United Arab Emirates in 1988 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Waldegrave : No worked ivory was imported from the United Arab Emirates in October 1988. Hong Kong extended its import licence control to cover all forms of ivory on 5 August 1988, and since then no licences have been issued for import of worked ivory from the United Arab Emirates.
Military Aid
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much military aid has been granted by Her Majesty's Government in the current financial year.
Mr. Waldegrave : We expect to spend £3 million on supplies of non-lethal military equipment during the current financial year. In addition, £23 million will be spent on foreign and Commonwealth military training in the United Kingdom and overseas.
Belize
Mr. Livsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to maintain the military presence of Britain in Belize as long as the people and government of Belize wish it.
Mr. Waldegrave : Our policy is to maintain the British garrison in Belize for an appropriate period.
ENERGY
Coal Industry (Yorkshire)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what estimate he has made of the total number of jobs directly and indirectly dependent on the coal industry of (a) South Yorkshire and (b) North Yorkshire ; what were these figures for five years and 10 years ago ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Spicer : Figures for the number of jobs indirectly dependent on the coal industry are not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Column 36
Information on jobs directly dependent on the coal industry for the areas and dates requested, is as follows :
|North Yorkshire|South Yorkshire
----------------------------------------------------------------
March 1979 |36,856 |38,803
March 1984 |31,710 |31,840
March 1989 |14,705 |14,724
The data refer to men associated with British Coal's North and
South Yorkshire areas.
Nuclear Safeguards
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Dr. Thomas), Official Report, 15 May, column 109, the United Kingdom has any continuing interest in the imposition of bilateral nuclear safeguards implemented before May 1979 on plutonium exported for use in the Rapsodie test fast reactor in France since November 1964.
Mr. Michael Spicer : The plutonium was exported under the terms of the United Kingdom Euratom agreement 1959 which emphasised the peaceful nature of the co-operation. As far as the Department is aware it remains subject to Euratom safeguards.
Harwell Nuclear Plant
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how far the refurbishment of the Harwell reactor has progressed following the July 1987 plan set out for refurbishment.
Mr. Michael Spicer : The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority informs me that the refurbishment programme for the nuclear research reactors at Harwell is reviewed annually. The current programme has been amended to take account of the closure of the PLUTO reactor in March 1990. This amended programme has been approved by Harwell's reactor safety committee and will be discussed with the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate.
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how long it is proposed to store Harwell reactors sea dump barrels containing intermediate level waste in their present condition ; and what plans there are to make them safer.
Mr. Michael Spicer : Drums of radioactive wastes prepared for the 1983 sea disposal operation will continue to be stored in a safe condition and will be prepared for eventual disposal in the deep facility for low and intermediate level wastes which Nirex has been asked to develop.
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) how many workers at Harwell reactors exceeded the radiation dosages of (a) 15mSv and (b) 50mSv ; and what was the average dose of those working in the reactor area alone ;
(2) what measures are being taken to ensure that doses received by the Harwell work force and local population are as low as reasonably possible ; and what dose levels Harwell is working towards achieving.
Mr. Michael Spicer : Details of the radiation exposures incurred by Harwell staff are published annually in the UKAEA report on radiological protection and occupational health.
Column 37
The UKAEA seeks to keep doses to the lowest reasonably practicable level. From 1 January 1988 it set an upper limit on individual dose of 30mSv per year, which is not normally to be exceeded except in cases of extreme occupational necessity. No one on the Harwell reactor site exceeded this level in 1988.Exposure of the public to discharges of radioactive wastes from Harwell is monitored routinely and the monitoring results and dose estimates published annually in the Harwell laboratory report on radioactive discharges and environmental monitoring. I am arranging for copies of this report and the report on radiological protection and occupational health to be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if there are any plans to improve the current state of the effluent treatment works at Harwell ; and what mechanisms exist to shut down the flow of effluent into the Thames in the event of it exceeding waste safety levels ;
(2) what measures have been taken to ensure that discharges and waste from the Harwell reactors in the river Thames are below the new general derived limits in the NRPB document GS-8.
Mr. Michael Spicer : The liquid effluent treatment plant is maintained in a condition which enables it to meet the requirements imposed by the relevant discharge consents issued by the Department of the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The measured effect of these discharges is typically between 5 per cent. and 10 per cent. of NRPB general derived limits. Treated effluent is stored for analysis and is not discharged unless it complies with the requirements of the consents.
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when a detailed inventory of the Harwell reactor core will be made available to the public.
Mr. Michael Spicer : This information has already been made available in a letter to Dr. P. Taylor of the political ecology research group associated with Oxford city council, a copy of which is being placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he plans to publish the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate safety audit of Harwell.
Mr. Michael Spicer : I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 31 January at column 156.
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when the route of the waste pipelines from the Harwell reactors to the Thames will be made public.
Mr. Michael Spicer : I understand that information about the route of the pipeline is made available upon request, by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority as required to avoid accidental damage to the pipeline.
Listening Devices
Mr. Cran : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether electronic surveillance listening devices are used by his Department or by any organisation or agency acting on its behalf ; and if he will make a statement.
Column 38
Nuclear Reactors (Safety)
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, in view of the fact that the proposed pressurised water reactors at Sizewell B and Hinkley C will be the first to depend for their reactor safety solely on computer systems (a) what assessment he has made of the safety implications of and (b) what discussions he has had with the Central Electricity Generating Board about the advisability of relying solely on these computer systems ; and if he has any plans to extend the new defence standard (Defstan 00-55) to those reactors.
Mr. Michael Spicer : The Sizewell B and the Hinkley Point C pressurised water reactors (PWRs) will have a computer based primary protection system designed to protect against all faults, and a non- computerised secondary system which will provide protection against the less unlikely faults. Both systems are at the design and development stage. The approval of the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate will be required before the reactors are allowed to operate. The Ministry of Defence computer software standard "Defstan 00-55" is still in the process of development. It is for the Central Electricity Generating Board to decide if it wishes to use this standard. Its decision would be considered by the NII as part of the safety case.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Natural Gas
Mr. Ashdown : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans the Government is considering to pipe natural gas from the South of Ireland to the North ; what implications there are for those plans of the current state of repair of the gas works in the North ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Viggers : The Government have no such plans.
Carrick House Hostel
Mr. Jim Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will investigate the alleged intimidation of residents by Northern Ireland Housing Executive staff to prevent them from taking their grievances and fears about the future of the Carrick House hostel to the media ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Needham : I am advised by the chairman of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive that the residents of Carrick House hostel have not been intimidated in any way by staff of the Housing Executive. While residents have access on a daily basis to Housing Executive management on matters of concern to them they are, of course, free as private individuals to approach the media at any time about their concerns which have been given considerable publicity in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Jim Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the short-term and long-term future of Carrick House hostel for homeless men, Belfast.
Mr. Needham : This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and I am advised by the chairman that no changes will be made in the day-to-day running of the
Column 39
hostel until 1 April 1990 at the earliest. In the meantime the future of the hostel in its present form will be the subject of a strategic review. No plans for Carrick House will be finalised without prior consultation with the residents.Mr. Jim Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps have been taken to consult the residents, staff and other interested bodies about both the short and long-term future of Carrick House ; and what steps it is intended to take in the future to carry out such consultations.
Mr. Needham : This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and I am advised by the chairman that staff of the Carrick House hostel have been made fully aware of the review of the hostel's role which will be undertaken by Housing Executive management. Regular meetings are taking place between residents' representatives and hostel management at which issues of mutual interest are discussed. These will shortly be supported by a regular newsletter to all residents aimed at reinforcing the consultative process.
Mr. Jim Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps have been taken to ensure that adequate health and safety standards, medical facilities, hygiene facilities, social counselling facilities and staffing levels exist for the residents of Carrick House.
Mr. Needham : This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive and I am advised by the chairman that Carrick House hostel has for many years provided basic facilities and support services for residents. There has been no diminution of existing standards and services since the hostel came under the Housing Executive management. The prospects for enhanced facilities and services commensurate with the needs of residents will be addressed as part of a forthcoming strategic review of the future of the hostel.
Dental Examinations
Mr. Sean Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money has been refunded as a consequence of the illegal charges for dental examinations between 1 and 16 January.
Mr. Needham : The total amount refunded to patients was £16,455.60.
Mr. Sean Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what additional use of personnel was incurred and what was the time element involved in rectifying the error relating to illegal dental examination charges between 1 and 16 January.
Mr. Needham : No additional personnel were used. As the work involved was undertaken by existing staff as part of their normal duties, it is not possible to assess the time element involved in rectifying the error.
Mr. Sean Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what costs were incurred in rectifying the errors relating to the illegal charges for dental examinations between 1 and 16 January.
Mr. Needham : The administrative cost of arranging for dentists to refund charges paid by patients for dental examinations carried out during the period 1 to 16 January was £2,612.
Column 40
Grey Squirrels
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures are in force to control grey squirrels in Northern Ireland ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Needham : Under article 15(1) of The Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 it is an offence to release grey squirrels into the wild. Grey squirrels may be killed or taken, other than by prohibited methods, by owners or occupiers, or persons authorised by them on their own land. The present population of these animals does not constitute a threat.
Health Board Assets
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give details of assets disposed of by each health board during 1987-88 ; and what was the total value of those assets.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 24 April 1989] : Monies received in respect of assets disposed of by each Health and Social Service board for 1987-88 are as shown in the table :
|Equipment and Vehicles|Land and Buildings
|£ |£
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern Board |14,256 |125,894
Southern Board |15,787 |145,265
Eastern Board |nil |529,887
Western Board |40,637 |195,077
|----- |-----
|70,680 |996,123
Publicity
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will place in the Library details of each major publicity campaign mounted by his Department in 1985-86 and each successive year, including in each case the objectives of the campaign, the intended audience and the outcome of the monitoring of the achievement of the intended objectives, and national research conducted for him by the Central Office of Information together with a note of the intended objectives in the campaigns in 1989-90.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 2 May 1989] : The information has been placed in the Library.
Police Posts
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many incidents requiring Royal Ulster Constabulary action have occurred in the area formerly served by each limited opening Royal Ulster Constabulary sub-station in east Antrim since these limited opening stations were closed ;
(2) whether he will discuss with the new Chief Constable as a matter of priority the impact of closure of limited opening stations in east Antrim.
Mr. Ian Stewart [holding answer 2 May 1989] : The Chief Constable tells me that no limited opening police stations have been closed in East Antrim. There were however three police posts closed in the area-- Craigyhill (Larne), Sunnylands (Carrickfergus) and Knockfergus
| Next Section
| Home Page |