House of Commons Hansard Debates for 20 Feb 1991

Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs following the recent consultative meeting in Chile, what options he is considering for Her Majesty's Government's policy in respect of mining in Antarctica ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Garel-Jones : It was clear at the meeting in Chile that neither the Antarctic minerals convention alone nor a simple ban on mineral activity provide for a solution of the minerals issue. We are considering how best, in these circumstances, to achieve a return to consensus.

Lithuania

Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he intends to raise the result of the independence referendum held in Lithuania with the Security Council of the United Nations or with the Council for Security and Co-operation in Europe ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : No. We do not believe discussion in the United Nations Security Council would provide an answer to the problem. We raised the Baltic issue at meetings of the CSCE in Vienna and Valletta in January.

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With our partners in the European Community, we have invoked the CSCE human dimension mechanism. The mechanism enables CSCE states to raise human rights questions directly with the state concerned.

Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has been in contact with European Community Foreign Ministers to discuss the outcome of the independence referendum in Lithuania ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs met his EC colleagues in Luxembourg on 19 February for a European political co-operation ministerial meeting. The situation in the Soviet Union and the Baltic republics was among the subjects discussed. We have noted the outcome of the Lithuanian referendum with interest, and hope that genuine negotiations will now take place about the way forward.

Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government will grant recognition to the republic of Lithuania following the outcome of the independence referendum held in Lithuania on 9 February ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : No. Lithuania does not fulfil the

well-established criteria that we have applied to the recognition of a state. These are that it should have, and seem likely to continue to have, a clearly defined territory with a population, a Government who are able of themselves to exercise control of that territory, and independence in its external relations. However, we recognise and support the wish of the Lithuanian people to determine their own future. We believe that the way forward is through peaceful negotiations between the Soviet authorities and the elected Lithuanian authorities.

Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to or received from President Landsbergis of Lithuania, President Gorbachev of the USSR, the embassy of the USSR in London and the Lithuanian Association in London, following the result of the independence referendum in Lithuania.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : We have received no representations on this specific question. We are in frequent contact with the Soviet authorities, and with the authorities of the Baltic republics, over developments there.

Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next intends to meet his European Community counterparts ; and if he will raise the question of how the European Community should respond to the outcome of the independence referendum held in Lithuania.

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Baltic States

Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations or offers of assistance his Department has made to the Inter-Parliamentary Union to facilitate the sending of an all-party parliamentary delegation to the Baltic states.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : We have made clear to the IPU that the FCO would be happy to facilitate the proposed visit of an all-party parliamentary delegation to the Baltic states. Her Majesty's embassy in Moscow has been in contact with the Supreme Soviet to urge it to give an early response to the IPU's initiative.

Soviet Union

Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the claim by the Soviet Prime Minister Valentin Pavlov that western banks were in a plan to destabilise the Soviet currency ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : We have no information to substantiate Mr. Pavlov's claim. Both our interests and those of the Soviet Union would be best served by the emergence of a free market there. An unstable currency would hinder, not help that process.

Belgium (Arms Dealers)

Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to discuss with his Belgian counterpart ways of developing international restrictions on conventional arms and ballistic missile system sales by arms dealers operating out of Brussels.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : We discuss the export of arms with Belgium and with our other partners in the Twelve. We expect to work more closely together in this field in the future. Both Britain and Belgium are also members of the missile technology control regime which aims to combat the proliferation of ballistic missile equipment and technology.

Nuclear Facilities

Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Dr. Thomas) of 12 February, Official Report, column 387, whether the United Kingdom made any substantive input into the discussions at the non-proliferation treaty review conference concerning the threat of military attacks on nuclear facilities.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : The United Kingdom made substantive input into all discussions at the NPT review conference.

Kuwait (Reconstruction)

Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the names and companies of those business representatives who accompanied him when he visited the Kuwaiti Government in exile ; on what basis these representatives were selected ; if any part of their travel or other expenses was met from public funds ; and if he will make a statement.

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Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 19 February 1991] : The business representatives who accompanied my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State were selected on the basis of their position in the sectors of British industry which are most likely to play a part in the reconstruction of Kuwait. They were :

Mr. Peter Berry -- Managing Director, Crown Agents.

Mr. Alan Cockshaw -- Chairman, AMEC PLC.

Mr. David Douglas Home -- Chairman of the Committee on Middle East Trade and Director of Morgan Grenfell.

Mr. Allan Gormly -- Chairman of the Overseas Projects Board : MD of John Brown Engineering and Director of Trafalgar House PLC. Mr. Jim Langford -- Chairman, Engineering and Construction Division, Costain Group PLC.

Mr. Bill Pirie -- Chairman, Middle East and North Africa Committee, British Consultants Bureau and Associate,

Sir Alexander Gibb and Partners Ltd.

Rt. Hon. Lord Prior -- Chairman GEC PLC.

Mr. Adrian White -- Chairman, Biwater.

No part of their travel or other expenses was met from public funds other than the cost of transport by coach between Jeddah and Ta'if.

TRANSPORT

Light Aircraft (Insurance)

Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to require light aircraft owners to take out insurance which would safeguard the general public.

Mr. McLoughlin : My right hon. and learned Friend has received, in response to requests to the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority, advice on the issues relating to the introduction of a compulsory insurance scheme for all aircraft registered in the United Kingdom. My right hon. and learned Friend is considering that advice.

Badgers

Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when considering the proposed route for the M3 extension what consideration was given to the impact of the route through meadowland on the habitat for badgers ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Chope : During the many discussions between my Department and ecological and conservation interests, there have been no suggestions or evidence of badger activity in the vicinity of the proposed route for the final section of the M3 motorway at Winchester. A habitat survey will be carried out this spring and if evidence of badger activity is found appropriate measures including the need for crossings will be considered.

Drink Driving

Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research evidence he has received on the comparative reductions in numbers of drink drivers in Great Britain and New South Wales since either the year before or the year after the introduction of random tests in New South Wales.

Mr. Chope : Random breath testing was introduced in New South Wales in December 1982. One measure of the subsequent reduction in the numbers of drink drivers is the fall in the proportion of drivers killed whose blood alcohol level was known who were over the limit. This has fallen

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from 36 per cent. in 1983 to 33 per cent. in 1989. The comparative figures for Great Britain show a fall from 28 to 19 per cent., a fall of nine percentage points.

Passenger Safety

Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about the effects on passenger safety of overloading British Rail trains.

Mr. Freeman : The Department of Transport received around 4,000 letters about British Rail in the last year, some of which raised questions about various aspects of overcrowding. Precise figures could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Train Services

Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effects of British Rail's proposed reduction of train services on the Stoke on Trent to Derby service on the local transport infrastructure in the light of his Department's west midlands regional brief, published in January ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. McLoughlin : The level of service on individual lines is a matter for British Rail, subject to the quality of service standards set by the Government.

East Coast Main Line

Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the footpath and bridleway crossings of the east coast main line for which he has made orders under section 124 of the Transport Act 1968 ; and if he will place copies of those orders in the Library.

Mr. Freeman : Her Majesty's railway inspectorate has no record of any order being issued under section 124 of the Transport Act 1968 in respect of footpath and bridleway crossings on the east coast main line.

Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what is his policy on the divestment of public land in a depressed market ;

(2) how many acres of land surplus to operation requirements are owned by British Rail.

Mr. McLoughlin : The policies that the Government look for in the handling of British Rail land require that the board should make a commercial plan for indentifying and divesting itself of all its underused or surplus property for early outright disposal subject to the need to avoid distress sales. Some 21,500 acres of surplus land are held by British Rail and are available for disposal.

Rail Safety

Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he intends to ask the railway inspectorate to prescribe maximum safe carrying capacities for British Rail trains.

Mr. Freeman : No. Her Majesty's railway inspectorate's advice is that British Rail's rolling stock is designed to be safe, whatever the numbers travelling on board. Sir Anthony Hidden's report on the Clapham rail accident concluded that if the trains in that accident had been overcrowded, passengers having to stand would not have been at any greater risk than those sitting down. The

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inquiry into the Cannon Street accident will be considering whether overcrowding on that train had any effect on the risk of injury to which individual passengers were exposed. As a matter of comfort rather than safety, British Rail's current objectives include train loading standards.

Hazardous Substances

Sir Bernard Braine : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about the possible replacement of the Hazchem safety code with the European Community's Kemler code ; and what consultation there has been on this subject with the Health and Safety Commission and local authorities.

Mr. Chope : We have received a number of representations from hon. Members and local authorities, all prompted by the Chief and Assistant Chief Fire Officers' Association--CACFOA. On 16 October 1989, my hon. Friend the Member for South Ribble (Mr. Atkins) received a deputation of north-eastern Members with the president of CACFOA who spoke in favour of the Hazchem code. The Health and Safety Executive has initiated a review of the Dangerous Substances (Conveyance by Road in Road Tankers and Tank Containers) Regulations 1981 which contain the requirements for placards. They have been discussing with all interested parties, including local authority organisations, what should be done, taking account of the fact that the Kemler code is used throughout Europe whereas the Hazchem code is only used in the United Kingdom.

HGV Licences

Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to require all drivers of heavy goods vehicle-type vehicles used in road construction to hold heavy goods vehicle licences ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Chope : No. Drivers of road construction machines, engineering plant, works trucks and digging machines will continue to be exempt from the requirement to hold heavy goods vehicle and large goods vehicle drivers' licences in the new licensing system.

Road Schemes

Sir John Stanley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the road schemes in which his Department has extended the distance limit for safeguarding purposes beyond the 67 m limit specified in article 15(1)(b) of the General Development Order 1988.

Mr. Chope [holding answer 18 February 1991] : The distance limit for safeguarding purposes has been extended beyond 67 m in only one case. That is the proposed widening of an approximately 80 mile-long section of the M1 in the east midlands, which forms part of our published intention to widen the motorway between junctions 6A and 33. In this case the safeguarding distance is 67 m from the centre line of each carriageway, slip road, junction and service area or 30 m beyond the existing motorway boundary, whichever is the greater.

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SCOTLAND

Skills Improvement

Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what occasions in the past five years financial expenditure has been given or offered by the Industry Department of Scotland to help existing or incoming firms with the upgrading of the skills of their present or proposed work force.

Mr. Allan Stewart : Until 15 December 1988 when the scheme was closed training grants under section 7 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 were available to help companies in the assisted areas meet the training costs of new investment projects. Between 1 April 1985 and 15 December 1988, 10 offers of such grant were accepted by Scottish companies. Further details are available in successive annual reports of the Industrial Development Act.

Homelessness

Mr. Ron Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people are currently homeless in Lothian and Edinburgh respectively ; and if he will make a statement.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Figures available centrally relate to the number of households which apply to local authorities and are assessed by them under Part II of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987. Over the 12 months to 31 March 1990, the number assessed as homeless in Edinburgh was 1,957 ; the corresponding figure for Lothian was 2, 636. I announced in December 1990 that an extra £2 million allocation would be made available in 1991-92 for homelessness projects in the four cities. An announcement of the schemes to be assisted will be made very soon.

Mentally Ill People (Homelessness)

Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the percentage of mentally ill people who have been homeless for more than (a) four weeks, (b) eight weeks, (c) six months, and (d) one year in (i) Scotland, (ii) Strathclyde and (iii) Glasgow.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : This information is not collected centrally.

Sheltered Accommodation (Renfrew)

Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how long he estimates it will take to provide a sheltered home for every person in Renfrew district who desires one, if expenditure is maintained at its current level.

Lord James Douglas Hamilton : No such estimates are made centrally. The provisional housing capital allocations for 1991-92 issued to Renfrew district council total £21.561 million. Apart from £0.757 million which is earmarked to fund innovative housing projects in the Ferguslie Park partnership area, the remainder of these resources are available for use at the discretion of the local authority to meet housing needs in the area, including the provision of sheltered housing if that is a local priority.

Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people are waiting on a sheltered home within Renfrewshire district.

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Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : This information is not held centrally.

Milk

Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much organic milk is produced in Scotland ; and what proportion is pasteurised.

Mr. Michael Forsyth : No record is held centrally of the volume of milk described as organic, produced in Scotland ; any milk sold to the public would require to be heat treated--pasteurised, sterilised, UHT--in accordance with the Milk (Special Designations) (Scotland) Order 1988.

Neil Duncan Case

Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has taken to satisfy himself that the interests of youths named in the Crown Office indictment against Neil Duncan and others have been adequately safeguarded ; and if he will make a statement.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : None. My noble and learned Friend, the Lord Advocate, has the universal and exclusive title to prosecute on indictment in the public interest.

Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the role of the Crown Office in the case of the Crown v. Neil Duncan and others.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The role of the Crown Office in this case did not differ from its role in any other proceedings on indictment.

Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the cost to the Exchequer of Crown Office time in preparing the indictment against Neil Duncan and others.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The cost has been calculated as about £225.

Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has taken to satisfy hmself that it was necessary for the Crown Office to name youths who were unconnected to the charges with which the Crown eventually proceeded, in the indictment against Neil Duncan and others.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : None. The indictments were drafted in accordance with the rules of criminal procedure in Scotland without challenge.

Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the cost to the Exchequer of legal aid in the case of the Crown v. Neil Duncan and others, including the sums paid in respect of defendants whose pleas of not guilty were accepted by the Crown.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : This information will not be available until the solicitors' accounts are received by the Scottish Legal Aid Board.

Disabled Workers

Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the percentage of the Scottish work force in each industrial sector who were registered as disabled for each year since 1980.

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Mr. Allan Stewart : Information is not available in the form requested.

Law Reform

Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what correspondence he has received from Murgitroyd and Company about section 25 of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1990 ; and what reply he has sent.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State recently received a letter from Mr. Ian Murgitroyd of Murgitroyd and Company to which a reply will be sent shortly.

Official Visits

Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he, or any of his ministerial team, next plans to make an official visit to the Paisley, South constituency.

Mr. Lang : There are no plans at present to visit the hon. Member's constituency in Paisley, South.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest

Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report all the designated sites of special scientific interest currently in force in Roxburgh and Berwickshire showing the owner of each site.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The information is not held centrally. I have asked the Nature Conservancy Council to write to the hon. Member.

Low-energy Light Bulbs

Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to encourage the use of low-energy light bulbs in his Department's offices and other buildings.

Mr. Lang : Most Scottish Office buildings have fluorescent lights, and these are cleaned and relamped regularly. Low-energy lamps are fitted wherever possible. A number of incandescent lights have either been replaced with low-energy compact fluorescent units or converted to accept these.

Food Hygiene

Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money is spent annually on specific research programmes to investigate food poisoning ; what funds are made available to develop accurate techniques to identify the causes of food poisoning ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Michael Forsyth : The estimated cost of research projects on the microbiological safety of food commissioned by the Scottish Office in the current financial year is £187,000. This is part of a much larger programme of research which is sponsored by other Government Departments.

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Pollution

Mr. Bellingham : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the appeals under section 10 of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 currently under consideration, showing the dates when they were first lodged ; and how many such appeals have been determined in the last six months.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Two appeals, lodged on 24 October 1989 and 27 October 1990, under section 10 of the Control of Pollution Act 1974, are currently under consideration in Scotland. The appeal lodged on 24 October 1989 is in abeyance pending the outcome of a planning inquiry.

Three such appeals have been determined in the last six months.

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