House of Commons Hansard Debates for 17 Dec 1990

Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has received a copy of the report by Raoul Jennar on Cambodia ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We have read with interest Raoul Jennar's report of his recent visit to Cambodia. I also refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to the question from my hon. Friend the Member for Broxtowe (Mr. Lester) on 12 December, at column 421.

Bangladesh

Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will initiate discussions with the Bangladesh Government to discuss (a) what assistance Her Majesty's Government could offer Bangladesh in the preparations for forthcoming elections for President and Parliament and (b) what help Her Majesty's Government could offer in monitoring the conduct of these elections ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We would be ready to consider any request in these areas made by the Bangladesh authorities.

Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will hold early talks with the President and Government of Bangladesh on action being taken to restore democracy and ways in which Her Majesty's Government could increase aid to Bangladesh ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no plans to do so. The acting President has spoken of the need to hold free and fair elections as soon as possible, and my right hon. Friend referred in his message to him to the importance we attach to this task.

Our existing bilateral aid programme to Bangladesh is substantial, at over £50 million a year. Our contribution to Bangladesh through multilateral institutions is also significant. In 1988, the last year for which figures are available, it amounted to £28.5 million.

Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will have discussions

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with the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth about what role might be played by the Commonwealth in (a) preparations for forthcoming elections in Bangladesh for President and Parliament and (b) monitoring the conduct of those elections ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Commonwealth involvement in presidential and parliamentary elections in Bangladesh would be a matter for the Bangladesh Government to take up with the Commonwealth Secretary General.

Iraq-Kuwait Border

Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions Her Majesty's Government, or representatives of alliances of which the United Kingdom is a member, had with Kuwait or Iraq prior to 2 August, concerning adjustment or delineation of the border between Iraq and Kuwait.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : The United Kingdom has not been involved in such discussions since before 1961 when the British Government terminated the exclusive agreement of 1899 with the Kuwaiti Government and recognised Kuwait as a sovereign independent state.

Opinion Surveys

Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list any opinion surveys conducted by, for or on behalf of his Department since 1 January 1985 giving the date and purpose of each survey.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Six opinion surveys have been conducted on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in October 1986, March 1987, April 1987, July 1988, August 1989, August 1990. The purpose of the surveys was to monitor trends in public opinion, and to enable the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to improve its presentation of foreign policy issues.

Iraq

Mr. David Young : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action is being taken by his Department to draw attention to United Nations findings of the effect of sanctions on Iraq in the run-up to 15 January 1991.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : The United Nations has not made available any such findings.

The Gulf

Mr. Carrington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice Her Majesty's Government have to offer British nationals resident in the Gulf region.

Mr. Hurd : The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has the following advice for British nationals resident in Bahrain, Qatar, the eastern region of Saudi Arabia, and the cities of Riyadh and Tabuk. Following the adoption of UN Security Council resolution 678, British dependants are advised to leave the area well before the deadline of 15 January which has been set by the UN Security Council for the withdrawal of Iraq from Kuwait. This is a common sense precaution, and does not imply any worsening of the situation in the last few days.

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Advice to visitors remains unchanged. Tourists should not visit the area, but those who have necessary business to conduct should not be deterred. They should register their arrival with the nearest British dipllomatic mission, and should tell the mission how long they expect to stay.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy

Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he intends to supply the remaining four cattle brains to Dr. Harash Narang at the public health laboratory in Newcastle to further his diagnosis of BSE.

Mr. Gummer : My officials will supply Dr. Harash Narang with the remaining cattle brains he requires when suitable material becomes available and he is able to take delivery of it.

Opinion Surveys

Mr. Dobson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list any opinion surveys conducted by, for or on behalf of his Department since 1 January 1985 giving the date and purpose of each survey.

Mr. Curry : Opinion surveys, including market research connected with public information publicity campaigns, conducted for, or on behalf of this Department since 1 January 1985 are as follows : June 1987

Survey of Consumer Attitude to Food Additives

Purpose : Publicity planning

June 1988

Food Hygiene : Report on a Consumer Survey

Purpose : Publicity planning

September 1989

Food Safety : Qualitative Survey

Purpose : Publicity planning

November 1989

Food Safety : Quantitative Survey

Purpose : Publicity planning

December 1989

Food Attitudes Monitor

Purpose : Campaign evaluation and publicity planning

March 1990

Public Attitudes to Food Additives

Purpose : Campaign evaluation and publicity planning

April-May 1990

Attitudes to Food Labelling Survey (England and Wales)

Purpose : Publicity planning

June 1990

Awareness and Understanding of BSE

Purpose : Publicity planning

November 1990

Research into Effectiveness of the 1990 MAFF Touring Exhibition (Parts 1 and 2)

Purpose : Campaign evaluation and publicity planning

November 1990

Report on a Qualitative Research Study into Food Sense' Publications

Purpose : Campaign evaluation.

Research Laboratories

Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the locations of the (a) veterinary laboratories, (b) Agricultural Development Advisory Service farm and countryside service laboratories, (c) Agricultural Development Advisory Service

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research and development laboratories, (d) fisheries laboratories and (e) food science laboratories that have closed since 1979 ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Gummer [holding answer 10 December 1990] : Laboratories exist to meet the experimental and analytical needs of the Ministry's scientific work programme. In order that this can be carried out in the most efficient and economical way, it is sometimes necessary for facilities at particular sites to be closed or for new ones to be constructed. The table illustrates this by listing the locations of laboratories which have closed and by identifying the places to which work has been transferred. It remains our policy to keep all such facilities under review to ensure that we have the most cost effective mix of resources for current and future requirements. Closure and Effect on programme

(a) Veterinary Laboratories

Cardiff--work redistributed amongst Carmarthen, Shrewsbury, Worcester and Langford.

Chester--work redistributed amongst Bangor, Barton Hall (Preston) and Shrewsbury.

Gloucester--work redistributed amongst Langford and Worcester. Leeds--work transferred to Thirsk.

Liverpool--work transferred to a new laboratory at Barton Hall (Preston)

Northampton--work redistributed amongst Cambridge, Reading and Sutton Bonington.

Shinfield (Reading)--some AI work privatised. Other work transferred to CVL (Weybridge).

Since 1979 there has been a programme of rationalisation and investment in the most modern analytical equipment which has permitted an increased workload to be handled more cost effectively at fewer sites. Work which would have been carried out at closed sites is now dealt with at the most appropriate remaining site in relation to location, the discipline involved and the particular requirements in question. Closed laboratories and current facilities are listed, together with their relevant specialisms.

(b) ADAS FCS Laboratories

Closed

Accrington--microbiology

Bangor--entomology and plant pathology

Caernarfon--microbiology

Cardiff--microbiology

Evesham--plant pathology and entomology

Liverpool--wildlife and storage biology

Newcastle-upon-Tyne--analytical chemistry, microbiology,

plant pathology and entomology

Shardlow--analytical chemistry, microbiology, plant pathology and entomology

Shrewsbury--microbiology

Current

Bristol--plant pathology

Cambridge--analytical chemistry, microbiology, plant pathology and entomology

Cardiff--entomology

Carmarthen--wildlife and storage biology

Kirton--plant pathology and entomology

Leeds--microbiology, plant pathology and entomology

Reading--microbiology and entomology

Starcross--analytical chemistry, microbiology, plant pathology and entomology

Trawscoed--microbiology, plant pathology and entomology

Wolverhampton--analytical chemistry, microbiology, plant

pathology and entomology

Wye--plant pathology

Welshpool--transferred to Tolworth.

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(d) Fisheries Laboratories

Humber Laboratories (Hull)--work on fish by-products transferred to Torry Research Station. Other work terminated.

London--transferred to Lowestoft.

(e) Food Science Laboratories

1 site in London, 2 sites in Norwich--work transferred to new purpose built laboratory at Norwich.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Opinion Surveys

Mr. Dobson : To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will list any opinion surveys conducted by, for or on behalf of his Department since 1 January 1985, giving the date and purpose of each survey.

Mr. MacGregor : None.

Committees

Mr. Hardy : To ask the Lord President of the Council how many sittings of (a) Standing and (b) Select Committees were held during the mornings of the 1989-90 parliamentary Session.

Mr. MacGregor : (a) 290 sittings (b) 237 sittings.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Opinion Surveys

Mr. Dobson : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list any opinion surveys conducted by, for, or on behalf of the Duchy since 1 January 1985, giving the date and purpose of each survey.

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