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Mr. Curry : I plan to consult interested parties as soon as we have specific proposals to present on how the existing environmental benefits afforded by hill livestock compensatory allowances might be made more specific.
Drift-net Fishing
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps are being taken to protect fish stocks in waters for which Britain is responsible from the activities of drift-net fishing.
Mr. Curry : The small-scale drift net fisheries found in United Kingdom waters are considered to be relatively selective in operation, targeting certain fish species reasonably effectively. Various restrictions including minimum mesh size controls may be applied in these fisheries, and those for salmon and trout in particular are tightly regulated.
Food From Britain
Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what percentage of funding through Food From Britain was spent promoting Scottish food ; and if he will make a statement ; (2) what percentage of funding through Food From Britain was spent promoting Welsh food ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Curry : The information is not available in the form requested. Food From Britain has the task of promoting British foodstuffs from all parts of the United Kingdom, and offers services to food companies without regard to their geographical location.
Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to promote (a) English food abroad and (b) British food abroad ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Curry : The Government are fully committed to the promotion of food from the United Kingdom both at home and abroad. We provide substantial financial support to the national food marketing organisation, Food From Britain, so that its resources and expertise can be drawn upon by British food producers, manufacturers and traders in increasing the sales of British food to the consumers of the world.
Cash Limits
Mr. Gill : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he intends to make any changes to his Department's cash limits for 1990-91.
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Mr. Gummer : Yes. The non-voted cash limit MAFF/LACAP (supplementary credit approvals for flood defence and coast protection) will be increased by £2,300,000 from £13,230,000 to £15, 530,000, to enable local authorities to devote additional resources to coast protection work following the severe winter storms at the beginning of 1990.The cash limit for class III, vote 5 (departmental research, advisory services and administration) will be reduced by £2,000,000, from £285,096,000 to £283,096,000, reflecting a predicted shortfall in spending on capital works.
The net increase is within the forecast outturn for the planning total published today in the statistical supplement to the autumn statement.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Missile Technology Control Regime
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the countries that are currently members of the missile technology control regime and the date on which they became members.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The missile technology control regime was established in 1987 by Canada, France, the FRG, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. In 1989 Spain also adhered to the MTCR guidelines. In 1990 six further countries, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Norway, also announced their adherence to the MTCR.
Weapons
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the latest list of weapons outlawed by international law ; and what efforts the United Kingdom is making to extend that list.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : There is no international agreed list of outlawed weapons. However, restrictions on certain types of weapon are included in a variety of international agreements. Such restrictions apply only to countries which are parties to the agreement.
Iraq (Muslim Holy Sites)
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the Official Report his letter of 28 January to the hon. Member for Linlithgow concerning damage to Muslim holy sites in Iraq.
Mr. Hurd : I am arranging for a copy of my letter of 28 January to the hon. Member to be placed in the Library of the House.
Council of Ministers
Mr. Moss : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the Official Report a statement of forthcoming business in the European Community Council of Ministers.
Mr. Garel-Jones : The Foreign Affairs Council will meet on 4 and 5 February. Ministers will discuss the situation in
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the Soviet Union and the consequences of events in the Baltic states for the EC's aid proposals. They will also discuss food aid for Romania and Bulgaria and the extension of European Investment bank lending to Czechoslovakia, Romania and Bulgaria. The Council may review progress towards the resumption of negotiations on GATT, and will consider EC/United States trade in aircraft. Political co- operation issues will also be discussed. The ministerial meeting of the inter-governmental Conference on political union on 4 February will consider progress made by Ministers' personal representatives. The Agriculture Council will meet on 4 and 5 February and will discuss the development of the common agriculture policy, the agriculture aspect of the GATT Uruguay round and EC quality standards for fresh and frozen sheep carcases.The Economic and Finance Council will meet on 25 February to consider financial assistance to central and eastern Europe and aid to the USSR. The abolition of fiscal frontiers appears on the agenda but no substantive discussion is expected. The ministerial meeting of the inter-governmental conference on economic and monetary union on 25 February will hold a general discussion on progress made to date by Ministers' personal representatives.
Prisoners of War
Mr. Trotter : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken by the United Kingdom and other countries to ensure that prisoners of war held by Iraq are being treated in accordance with the Geneva convention ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Southport (Mr. Fearn) on 31 January at column 605.
Falkland Islands (Fishing)
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on Japanese drift-net fishing in the vicinity of the Falkland Islands.
Mr. Garel-Jones : The Falkland Islands Government, who manage the Falkland Islands interim conservation and management zone and the Falklands outer conservation zone, are not aware of any drift net fishing in the vicinity of the Falkland Islands.
Taiwan
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Taiwanese authorities regarding drift-net fishing ; and if he will make it his policy to ban all Taiwanese fishing in waters for which Britain is responsible until the Taiwanese end the use of drift-nets.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We have no dealings with the authorities in Taiwan. We welcomed the decision of the authorities in Taiwan in September last year to comply in principle with the resolution on large-scale pelagic drift net fishing adopted by the 44th General Assembly of the United Nations. We also welcomed the additional
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measures undertaken by the authorities in Taiwan such as a ban on the building of new drift net vessels and a ban on the operation of drift net fishing in the Atlantic. We do not propose to take action against Taiwan fishing vessels.British Overseas Territories (Fishing)
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to which countries licences have been granted for fishing operations in the economic exclusion zone waters of British overseas territories.
Mr. Garel-Jones : Dependent territories of the United Kingdom do not have exclusive economic zones, but a number of them have fisheries jurisdictions. Licences have been issued to vessels and associations from a number of countries ; it is not normal practice to enter into licence agreements with foreign Governments.
Cash Limits
Mr. Arbuthnot : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he proposes to make any changes in his Department's diplomatic wing cash limits and running costs limits for 1990-91.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimates, the following changes will be made : The cash limit for class II, vote 1 (overseas representation) will be increased by £18,058,000 from £534,722,000 to £552,780,000. In addition, the running costs limit on vote 1 will be increased by £14, 986,000 from £477,103,000 to £492,089,000. These changes reflect increased costs due to the Gulf crisis ; construction of buildings and adverse effect of overseas price movements.
The cash limit for class II, vote 2 (other external relations) will increase by £11,402,000 from £176,019,000 to £187,421,000. This takes account of increased costs on Vietnamese boat people ; international conferences ; FCO scholarships ; military assistance ; consular expenditure in the middle east as a result of the Gulf crisis and higher than forecast expenditure on our contributions to international organisations due to the adverse effect of overseas price movements.
The cash limit for class II, vote 3 (external broadcasting and monitoring) will increase by £4,760,000 from £142,685,000 to £147,445,000 to take account of increased rental for Bush house and increased costs as a result of the Gulf crisis.
The cash limit for class II, vote 4 (the British Council) will increase by £2,076,000 from £76,233,000 to £78,309,000 to take account of the adverse effect of overseas price movements. These increases are within the forecast outturn for the planning total published today in the statistical supplement to the 1990 autumn statement.
Saudi Arabia
Sir David Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance is being given to British nationals to leave Saudi Arabia following the cessation of civilian flights.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We have arranged for British nationals to leave Saudi Arabia on Kuwait Airways flights
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from Dhahran. Only about 230 British nationals have taken up this opportunity. The last of these flights left on 30 January. Saudia Airlines is operating a service of three flights a week between Jedda and the United Kingdom and a daily shuttle service between Jedda and Riyadh. British Airways will provide a similar service between London and Jedda from 31 January. It continues to be possible to travel without difficulty by road between Dhahran, Riyadh and Jedda.The American military have also offered seats on their aircraft to British nationals.
TRANSPORT
Boom Equipment
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultation has taken place, and what advice has been received, from local authorities as to the adequacy of the scale, type and amount of boom equipment stationed in Scotland for use in an oil pollution incident.
Mr. McLoughlin : The Department's marine pollution control unit (MPCU) keeps local authorities fully informed of the content of its stockpiles of beach protection and cleaning equipment and is always ready to consider any suggestion they might make about the amount or type of equipment it keeps. However, there have been no formal consultations with, or advice from, local authorities as to the adequacy of the scale, type and amount of boom equipment stationed in Scotland for use in an oil spill incident.
As I explained in my answer of 4 July at col. 563 the MPCU's stocks of highly mobile resources, including booms, are on short notice stand-by at various locations around the United Kingdom from where they can be quickly deployed to the west coast of Scotland, or any other part of the United Kingdom which may be threatened by a major oil spill.
The adequacy of these resources is kept under constant review and following the Rosebay incident off the south Devon coast in May of last year, the MPCU has taken steps to enhance substantially its stockpiles, including the one at Cambusbarron in Scotland, by improving its stocks of booms, shoreline barriers, skimmers and other equipment.
Prestwick Airport
Mr. McAvoy : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to encourage an increase in freight and passenger traffic using Prestwick airport ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : It is for airlines to decide whether they wish to mount services using Prestwick, and for BAA plc, as the owner of the airport, to encourage them to do so. Proposals put forward for new services by foreign airlines will be considered as quickly as possible within the framework of the appropriate air service agreements, and account will be taken of the Government's wish to see effective use of Prestwick.
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Rail Electrification
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give, for Great Britain as a whole and for Scotland, the total rail route length, and the percentage which is electrified, including projects approved or under construction.
Mr. Freeman : At 31 March 1990 British Rail had 10,307 route miles in Great Britain of which some 28 per cent. are electrified or will be electrified by projects approved or under construction. British Rail has some 1,700 route miles in Scotland, 10 per cent. of which are or will be electrified.
Rail Crossings
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the railway inspectorate's review of footpath crossings announced in his answer to the hon. Member for West Bromwich, East (Mr. Snape) on 9 July at column 96 has been completed ; and if he intends to place a copy of the review's findings in the Library when it is completed.
Mr. McLoughlin : The Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate is reviewing the warning and layout arrangements at footpath and bridleway crossings and the criteria for their application. Its findings will be published in due course as an additional chapter to the railway construction and operation requirements for level crossings. A copy will be placed in the Library at that time.
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of British Rail's review of all the footpath and bridleway crossings of the east coast main line and proposals for bridges or underpasses at, or stopping-up or diversion of, those crossings.
Mr. McLoughlin : This is a matter for British Rail. Proposals to stop up certain level crossings on the east coast main line railway are contained in British Rail's East Coast Main Line (Safety) Bill. If this Bill is given a Second Reading, it will be for the Committee appointed to consider it to take evidence on the case for British Rail's proposals.
Disabled People
Mr. Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance his Department issues to local authorities with regard to the reinstatement of existing provision for disabled people, such as dropped kerbs and tactile pavements when roads are being repaired and reinstated.
Mr. Freeman : Highway authorities are required under the Disabled Persons Act 1981 to have regard to disabled persons when considering the provisions of ramps at appropriate places between carriageways and footpaths. The Department of Transport's advice on these provisions, including such features as dropped kerbs and tactile pavements, is contained in departmental advice notes TA 52/87 "Design Considerations for Pelican and Zebra Crossings" and TA 57/87 "Roadside Features", and in the Department's disability unit circular 1/86. Where provisions are in place we would recommend that they are retained when roads are repaired and reinstated.
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Cycling Accidents
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list, in descending order by borough, the number of cycling accidents in each London borough in the last three years.
Mr. Chope : The information requested is as follows.
|Number
-------------------------------------
1987
Westminster |266
Wandsworth |200
Camden |191
Lambeth |190
Southwark |180
Islington |180
Hounslow |168
Richmond |160
Ealing |159
Hillingdon |154
Kingston |139
Bromley |137
Croydon |136
Kensington and Chelsea |129
Lewisham |117
Hammersmith and Fulham |110
Barnet |107
Enfield |105
Hackney |104
Tower Hamlets |100
Havering |97
Bexley |96
Greenwich |94
Brent |89
Merton |87
Sutton |86
Waltham Forest |82
Newham |81
Redbridge |75
Haringey |69
Barking and Dagenham |62
Harrow |60
City of London |32
1988
Westminster |323
Lambeth |233
Southwark |195
Camden |189
Wandsworthk |186
Islington |179
Ealing |161
Hounslow |155
Kensington and Chelsea |151
Kingston |146
Hammersmith and Fulham |141
Bromley |137
Hillingdon |137
Croydon |134
Richmond |132
Hackney |131
Lewisham |111
Enfield |107
Barnet |102
Newham |93
Waltham Forest |91
Brent |90
Tower Hamlets |90
Havering |88
Merton |83
Greenwich |83
Barking and Dagenham |77
Haringey |73
Redbridge |69
Harrow |68
Sutton |68
Bexley |66
City of London |38
1989
Westminster |461
Lambeth |322
Southwark |245
Camden |233
Wandsworth |228
Islington |219
Kensington and Chelsea |208
Ealing |201
Hounslow |194
Hammersmith and Fulham |173
Hillingdon |173
Richmond |170
Croydon |153
Barnet |151
Bromley |150
Tower Hamlets |145
Kingston |138
Hackney |127
Lewisham |123
Enfield |121
Greenwich |119
Havering |118
Waltham Forest |112
Brent |111
Haringey |111
Newham |105
Redbridge |96
Merton |94
Sutton |91
Bexley |74
Harrow |73
Barking and Dagenham |66
City of London |58
Source: London Accident Analysis
Unit fact sheets 18 and 33.
Cycling
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the progress towards implementing the 1, 000-mile cycle lane network in London.
Mr. Chope : In 1990 the London planning advisory committee consulted all London highway authorities on the proposals for a 1, 000-mile strategic cycle network. Replies are being co-ordinated by the London Cycling Forum. Results are expected later this year.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the availability of finance to local authorities for the provision of cycling facilities.
Mr. Chope : Transport supplementary grant (TSG) and credit approvals for local authority capital expenditure on highways are allocated in the light of information included in authorities' annual transport policies and programme (TPP) submissions.
The Department's circular inviting TPP submissions for 1991-92 said that expenditure on provision for cyclists will be considered for TSG where it is integral to a highway or traffic management scheme which meets the criteria for TSG accepted expenditure. Specific cycling schemes, in addition to those which form or are part of a local safety scheme, can also qualify for TSG support if they are intended to reduce accidents on roads of more than local importance. This can involve not only the construction of facilities on main roads (such as cycle lanes and cycle
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crossings) but also the development of cycle routes on minor roads which attract significant numbers of cyclists away from roads of more than local importance.Most expenditure on cycling facilities is likely to take the form of "minor works" for which authorities are given a block allocation of accepted expenditure. Other expenditure on cycling, as on all other categories of expenditure, may be funded from within authorities, approved levels of borrowing, from capital receipts or from revenue.
There is no predetermined share of the total resources available reserved for cycling facilities, and it is for individual authorities to decide how much of their overall allocations to devote to them.
Child Safety Belts
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he can now announce the date at which rear seat belts for children in cars will become mandatory.
Mr. Chope : Regulations requiring children under 14 years of age to be restrained when travelling in the rear seats of cars, where appropriate restraints exist and are available, came into force on 1 September 1989.
The European Commission is currently discussing a proposal for a directive on child restraint construction which is expected to include requirements on installation involving both restraint and vehicle manufacturers.
Road Repairs
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give an estimate of the cost of maintenance and repairs for motorways and roads for 1990.
Mr. Chope : The latest forecast of expenditure on maintenance of motorways and trunk roads in England in 1990-91 is £543.8 million. This includes £419.5 million of capital expenditure on the renewal of roads and the renewal and strengthening of bridges (including the Severn bridge) and £124.3 million of current expenditure on roads and bridges.
A19 Improvement Study
Mr. Cummings : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make available sufficient funding to enable the recommendations contained within the A19 improvement study prepared by consultants Bullen and Partners on behalf of the northern regional office of the Department of Transport to be implemented in full.
Mr. Chope : The consultant's report listed recommendations for improvements to the A19 in an order of priority. The scheme with top priority, Testo's roundabout improvement, is currently under way. The other improvements recommended will be processed within the annual programmes of regional improvements as funds permit.
Departmental Expenditure
Mr. Brazier : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes he proposes to make to the cash limit and running costs limit for his Department.
Mr. Rifkind : Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limits in class VII will be changed as follows :
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Class |Current |Changes |£ thousand
and Vote |cash limit |revised
|cash limit
-------------------------------------------------------
VII
1 |1,798,862 |<1>4,027 |1,802,889
2 |259,693 |<2>9,037 |268,730
4 |135,796 |<3>13,500 |149,296
5 |267,519 |<4>1 |267,520
<1>Take up in part of entitlement to end year
flexibility announced by the Chief Secretary to the
Treasury on 25 July 1990 (Official Report, cols.
235-40). There is a transfer of £100,000 from the
Department of Environment (class VIII, vote 6)
consequent upon the decision to pay grant direct to
English Heritage and a token provision to enable
certain payments in respect of the construction and
maintenance of roads.
<2>There are increases of £8,900,000 transferred from
class VII, vote 1, for the relocation of part of my
Department and for additional accommodation costs and
capital equipment, £20,000 in respect of first aid
work and OMCS challenge funding allocations and £288,
000 shortfall in appropriations in aid offset by a
reduction of £171,000 resulting from the transfer of
railways inspectorate to the Department of Employment (
class VI, vote 4).
<3>Increases to cover shortfall in appropriations in
aid of £13,500,000 in respect of the sale of marks
scheme.
<4>Token. Provision has been made to enable increased
expenditure on urban traffic control which will be
recovered from local authorities.
The running costs limit of the Department of Transport has been increased by £2,847,000 from £322,416,000 to £325,263,000 as a consequence of running costs increases on two Votes. The bulk of this increase comprises the transfer of £2,700,000 from programme expenditure on class VII vote 4.
The increases are within the forecast outturn for the planning total published today in the statistical supplement to the 1990 autumn statement.
The Gulf (Pollution Control)
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what response he has made to the Saudi Government's request for the loan of small numbers of skilled pollution control experts and advisers.
Mr. McLoughlin : Two pollution control experts, one from the Department's marine pollution control unit and the other from the DTI's Warren Spring laboratory, arrived in the Gulf yesterday. Both have considerable experience in dealing with pollution arising from oil spills dating back to the Torrey Canyon incident off the Scilly isles in 1969 and both have been involved in clean-up operations in the Gulf on previous occasions.
Their role will be to advise the Saudi Government on response techniques and any possible needs for additional equipment.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on his meeting with EEC colleagues on 29 January about the standing task force of national experts on oil pollution going to the Gulf ; and if he will give a breakdown of the numbers and experience of such a task force.
Mr. McLoughlin : The meeting held on 29 January at official level was of a technical nature aimed at assessing the situation in the light of available knowledge, considering possible response strategies and determining the extent to which the Community might be able to help if requested to do so by the Saudi Government.
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Member states expressed a willingness to help and it is clear that much equipment and expertise is available if required. However, I am also aware that considerable counter-pollution resources already exist in the Gulf area as a result of existing contingency plans to deal with spillages of oil from tanker casualties and other sources. It is important therefore not to mobilise European resources until it is clear that they would be needed and not simply hinder the operation.The EC task force has no specific number of personnel. It is drawn from member states in response to specific requests to the EC for assistance and its composition will vary from incident to incident depending on the type of help and advice being sought.
Rail Technology
Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to examine the new European rail technology being developed by Powell Duffryn Standard Limited.
Mr. Freeman : BR plans to use low-platform wagon technology for channel tunnel freight services, and I am taking a close interest in the development of this new rolling stock. My hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire, West (Mr. McLoughlin) visited Powell Duffryn in Cardiff last September, and I hope to visit their recently acquired French operation in April.
Dartford Tunnel
Mr. Evennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on forthcoming closures of the Dartford tunnels for carriageway repairs.
Mr. Chope [holding answer 31 January 1991] : Investigations into the condition of the existing tunnels at Dartford are continuing. Until they are complete and have been evaluated, no forecast can be given of the extent and timing of any closures. If closure of one of the tunnels does become necessary, it will not happen until some time after the opening of the new bridge at the end of this summer. The increased capacity would then provide three lanes of traffic in each direction during any closure, 50 per cent. more than at present.
Speed Limits (Essex)
Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer on 7 December 1990, Official Report, column 254, if he has determined Essex county council's highway committee's application of October 1988 to extend the 30 mph and 40 mph speed limit zone in Dembury ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Chope [holding answer 31 January 1991] : Approval in principle was given to Essex county council on 27 December 1990. I now await their application for confirmation of this order. I understand this is likely to be submitted sometime early in March.
Road Links
Mr. Robert Hicks : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the names of the consultants appointed by his Department to examine a possible new road link between Exeter and Plymouth and a second
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Tamar road bridge ; what was the date they were appointed ; what is the proposed timetable and their terms of reference ; and what are the organisations from whom evidence will be taken.Mr. Chope [holding answer 25 January 1991] : Consultants have still to be appointed for the assessment of the needs of the A38 between Exeter and Plymouth which was announced in "Roads for Prosperity". The assessment is likely to take about 12 months.
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The proposal for a second Tamar crossing was one of the six projects on which the private sector were invited to express views on the suitability for private finance in June 1990. The responses are under consideration and an announcement will be made as soon as possible.The Department is joining with the local authorities in a traffic study of Plymouth and its environs ; this should be complete by the end of 1991.
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