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Channel Tunnel Rail Link
Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will request the chairman of British Rail to make available to interested parties the documentation being submitted to the inquiry commissioned by British Rail into the alternative routes for the channel tunnel rail link from the North downs to London ; (2) if he will ensure that all parties making submissions to the independent inquiry into the channel tunnel rail link are given access to all the relevant documentation, including submissions and assessments by other parties.
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Mr. Freeman : No. It would be inappropriate for British Rail to make available documents relating to an internal study and which is not in the nature of a public inquiry. The results of the study will be published in due course if the project proceeds and there will be ample opportunity for discussion before statutory approval is given for a new line.
Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will request the chairman of British Rail to publish the inception report which set the terms of reference for the inquiry by the independent assessor into the route of the channel tunnel rail link.
Mr. Freeman : I understand that British Rail expects to publish soon the interim report by W. S. Atkins on the methodology used by British Rail to compare alternative route options.
Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the chairman of British Rail to publish the report on alternative routes for the channel tunnel rail link.
Mr. Freeman : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Kent (Mr. Rowe) on 21 January 1991 at column 35.
SCOTLAND
Natural Heritage Agency
Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the proposals to date for appointees to the regional boards of the proposed Scottish Natural Heritage Agency and their chairmen.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : It will be for Scottish Natural Heritage to decide whether to have regional boards and, if so, whom to appoint to them.
Sites of Special Scientific Interest
Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many sites of special scientific interest are currently designated in Scotland ; how many of these designations were objected to under section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : As at 1 February 1991, 1,307 sites of special scientific interest had been notified in Scotland. A right of objection was introduced by the Wildlife and Countryside (Amendment) Act 1985, which came into effect on 26 August 1985. The Nature Conservancy Council's latest available figures are that 491 sites were confirmed during the period from 1 August 1985 to 30 November 1990 and that representations or objections were received in respect of 149 of those sites.
Tobacco (Children)
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his policy for the enforcement of legislation controlling the sale of tobacco to children ; and if he intends to introduce any amendments in connection with the Children and Young Persons (Protection from Tobacco) Bill.
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Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : As with all criminal offences in Scotland, it is for the procurator fiscal to consider reports of alleged offences in relation to the sale of tobacco to children under 16 with a view to criminal proceedings.We intend to consult Scottish local authorities about the introduction in the Children and Young Persons (Protection from Tobacco) Bill of powers to enable them to enforce such offences in a way which would be appropriate to prosecution procedures in Scotland.
Morar Bypass
Sir Russell Johnston : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects the outcome of the public inquiry on the Morar bypass, held on 20 March 1990, to be announced.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The inquiry report was submitted at the end of September 1990. It contained some recommendations by the reporter which have been the subject of detailed consideration. This is almost complete and it is expected that my right hon. Friend's decision will be issued shortly after the Easter recess.
Health Board Chairmen
Mr. Eadie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number of occasions during the last 10 years on which a Minister of the Scottish Office has hosted a dinner for health board chairmen ; and what were the venues in each case.
Mr. Lang : Dinners for health board chairmen were held on 8 July 1983 and 8 February 1991 in Edinburgh castle.
Electoral Statistics
Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the total electorate for each parliamentary constituency in Scotland as at 16 February.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : This information is not yet available centrally. I shall write to the hon. Member in due course and place a copy of the information in the Library.
Nature Conservation
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for (a) each site of special scientific interest and (b) each national nature reserve the number of current management agreements between the Nature Conservancy Council and landowners ; and if he will place a copy of each agreement in the Library.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : I will write to the hon. Member.
Correspondence
Mr. Eadie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average time it takes each of his departmental Ministers to answer letters received from right hon. and hon. Members.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 22 February 1991] : Disproportionate costs would be incurred in the
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preparation of an answer in the form requested. A survey carried out in my Department during a representative period in 1990 showed an average response time of 17 working days.Sites of Special Scientific Interest
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the additional funding given to the Nature Conservancy Council to facilitate renotification of sites of special scientific interest in Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 22 February 1991] : The renotification of sites of special scientific interest is 97 per cent. complete. The allocation of funds to renotification is a matter for the Nature Conservancy Council within its budget.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Africa
37. Mr. Wells : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans Her Majesty's Government have to give further encouragement to the pursuit of structural adjustment in African countries.
Mrs. Chalker : Support for the process of economic reform has been a central aspect of our aid policy for Africa for several years and will continue to be so. We pledged and provided a total of £250 million for the first phase of the World Bank's special programme of assistance for sub -Saharan Africa. We expect shortly to make a further substantial pledge for the second phase of this programme.
38. Mr. Rooney : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the 27 African countries threatened with famine.
Mrs. Chalker : The Government are greatly concerned that 29 million people may be at risk of starvation in 25 African countries. Ethiopia, Sudan, Mozambique, Angola and Liberia are the most seriously affected with a total of over 20 million people at risk. HMG have committed over £118 million emergency assistance to these five countries since the beginning of 1989 and £22 million of relief aid to the rest of Africa. We are ready to do more through 1991.
Iraq
39. Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of humanitarian needs inside Iraq.
Mrs. Chalker : None. Security Council resolution 666 charges the United Nations Sanctions Committee to make the necessary determination to establish whether or not humanitarian circumstances have arisen, and to keep the situation regarding foodstuffs in Iraq and Kuwait under review.
Neither the ICRC nor the UNICEF/WHO team now in Baghdad have yet been able to conduct a full assessment for consideration by the United Nations Sanctions Committee. The ICRC have, however, identified a serious shortage of drinking water and, after notifying the United
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Nations Sanctions Committee, dispatched water purification supplies to Baghdad. The United Nations Sanctions Committee has authorised a consignment of food for ICRC distribution to Iranian internees and some other Asian nationals which the ICRC have identified as being in need.Yemen
Miss Hoey : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the level of overseas aid to the Republic of Yemen will be affected by events in the Gulf.
Mrs. Chalker : With the withdrawal of aid personnel from certain parts of the middle east to ensure their safety, our aid programme to the Republic of Yemen is on hold, although certain activities are continuing in the United Kingdom. We hope to resume our bilateral programme in the Republic of Yemen as and when circumstances allow, although it is not possible to say at this stage at what level that might be.
Food Relief Flights
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many food relief flights his Department is sponsoring.
Mrs. Chalker : The ODA has provided financial support for four current food airlift operations, one each in Ethiopia, Sudan, Angola and Mozambique.
In Sudan the airlift is operated by the Lutheran World Federation from Nairobi to Juba. I have just approved further assistance of £200,000 bringing our total contribution for this airlift since February 1989 to £1.2 million.
Somalia
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in Somalia.
Mrs. Chalker : The various groups who were opposed to the overthrow of Siad Barre's regime have been unable to agree so far on setting up a new Government. We are urging them to do so. Meanwhile fighting continues with the remnants of Siad Barre's forces and also reportedly between some of the rival groups.
Beef
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to propose environmental conditions into the beef protocol of the Lome agreement ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Chalker [holding answer 19 February 1991] : When the fourth Lome convention takes effect (ratification is required by all member states in the Community and two thirds of the ACP countries), the provisions of the beef protocol will allow certain ACP countries to import beef into the EC at reduced levy, subject to national quotas. As environmental concerns are covered in articles 33-41 of the convention, the beef protocol is already subject to them.
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DEFENCE
Atomic Weapons Research Establishment
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to ensure that employees of AWRE are provided with the same opportunities to remain within the UKAEA pension scheme after privatisation as former AWRE employees who transferred to the employment of British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. and Amersham plc ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The question of pension arrangements for members of the UKAEA principal non-industrial superannuation scheme (PNISS) employed at AWRE after contractorisation is under consideration.
I have given assurances that nobody will suffer detriment to their pension arrangements as a result of contractorisation.
The Gulf
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has on escapes of dangerous material from biological weapons depots in Iraq destroyed by allied bombing.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : We have no reliable information regarding any environmental effects of allied bombing of biological weapons facilities in Iraq. The methods used in attacking such sites are designed to minimise the risk of contamination outside the sites. Any remaining risk must be balanced against the risk of Iraq using these weapons against coalition forces or civilian populations.
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has on the extent to which the suffering of the Kuwaiti population to which he referred in his answer of 18 February, Official Report, column 64, has been increased by the effect of allied bombardment.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend on 18 February, at column 64.
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, further to his answer of 18 February, Official Report, column 64, whether any military objectives have been discussed with Israel beyond those laid down by the United Nations Security Council.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Israel is not a member of the coalition in the Gulf and is not involved in the action to implement the United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions British air sorties over Iraq and Kuwait have missed intended military targets and hit attendant civilian areas causing deaths and injuries to civilians ; and what steps the British military commanders in Saudi Arabia have taken to avoid such civilian casualties.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : It is allied policy to attack only military targets and facilities supporting Iraq's occupation of Kuwait. Great care continues to be taken during these attacks, both in the tactics and the weapons used, to minimise the risk of causing civilian casualties. Only a
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minority of the precision-guided munitions used by the RAF are assessed to have missed their intended target. There are indications that most of these have fallen well away from inhabited areas. Any civilian casualties that may have resulted are greatly regretted.Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he now has on the number of consecutive days prior to the bombing of the Al-Amariyah bunker that it had been used for the protection of civilians.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : None. The United States has made it clear that the bunker would not have been attacked if it had been known that civilians were inside.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Canterbury (Mr. Brazier) on 19 February 1991, Official Report, column 134, if he will set out the evidence that Iraq has nuclear weapons that are capable of polluting the Gulf region ; and when Her Majesty's Government reached the conclusion that Iraq has a nuclear weapons capability.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : We continue to assess that Iraq is not currently capable of constructing a nuclear explosive device.
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the numbers of forces each country has (a) committed to service and (b) promised are available to the coalition forces in the Gulf.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Romsey and Waterside (Mr. Colvin) on 12 February, at columns 382-83. The precise natue of the national contributions to the coalition force in the Gulf is a matter for the Governments concerned.
Teesside Development Corporation
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will supply a copy of the specification for facilities for the quality assurance unit to the Teesside development corporation.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : A summary of area requirements sub-divided by category was sent to Teesside development corporation on 25 January 1991. Additional data were passed to Teesside development corporation on 28 January 1991.
Quality Assurance Unit
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current estimate of the cost of relocating his Department's quality assurance unit to (a) Preston Farm, Stockton-on-Tees, (b) ICI Billingham and (c) Portland in Dorset.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : My Department is currently reassessing the scope of work to be relocated and the feasibility and likely cost of a number of locations. Current studies will be completed as soon as possible.
Prisoners of War
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements exist to allow families resident in the United Kingdom to visit prisoners of war ; and whether he has plans to alter the present arrangement.
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Mr. Archie Hamilton : Suitable arrangements are being made to allow visits by the close families of the Iraqi prisoners of war held at Rollestone camp. These will begin shortly.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
White Collar Crime
30. Mr. Hind : To ask the Attorney-General if he has any plans to meet the Director of the Serious Fraud Office to discuss the prosecution of white collar crime ; and if he will make a statement.
The Attorney-General : I expect to meet the director again shortly to discuss matters of departmental interest.
Crown Prosecution Service
31. Mr. Vaz : To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a further statement on the state of the Crown prosecution service.
The Attorney-General : The Crown prosecution service continues to strengthen both in numbers, effectiveness, and the working relationships with other agencies. The Crown prosecution service warmly welcomes the report of the working group on pre-trial issues.
Land Access
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Attorney-General what plans he has to implement the Law Commission's recommendations on access to neighbours' land.
The Attorney-General : The Government have accepted the recommendations contained in the Law Commission's report "Rights of Access to Neighbouring Land" (Law Com. No. 151), which they will seek to implement when parliamentary time allows.
Jury Service
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Attorney-General (1) how catchment areas for jury service are determined ; and whether there are circumstances in which those summoned for jury service can opt to fulfil their duties within adjacent catchment areas ;
(2) what measures are taken when females are asked to undertake jury service to ensure that there is (a) a limit to the hours they need to be away from their homes, (b) coverage for any homework and child care responsibilities they might normally undertake and (c) that they are not vulnerable by having to resort to public transport at unsociable hours ;
(3) what consideration is taken into account in determining whether a person is to be summoned to undertake jury service of (a) the distances they are required to travel to court, (b) the availability of public transport facilities and (c) the length of time a juror will need to be away from their home.
The Attorney-General : The Juries Act 1974 provides that the Lord Chancellor shall have regard to the convenience of persons summoned and to their respective places of residence and in particular to the desirability of selecting jurors from within reasonable daily travelling distance of the court which they are to attend. The area
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from which jurors are summoned to attend a particular location of the Crown Court usually coincides with the petty sessional areas from which the persons are normally committed for trial to that location when charged with a class 4 offence. However, jurors are normally only summoned from those parts of the catchment area which are within one or two hours travelling time. The court day normally begins at 10.30 am and concludes at about 4.30 pm and although they are normally expected to attend some time in advance jurors are usually away from their homes or places of work for a maximum of about nine hours. This, of course, varies with the length of the court day and the actual travelling time for a particular juror. No special arrangements are made for females who are performing this important public duty to which all those eligible are expected to contribute. Where public transport is not easily accessible jurors may receive an enhanced rate for use of a private vehicle. Those who cannot reasonably use public transport and do not have their own transport may, of course, apply for excusal. There is no provision for a juror to opt to attend a court which has an adjacent catchment area. Those with young children are entitled to receive jurors allowances including financial loss allowance in the same way as any other juror. Financial loss allowance is paid where a juror, in consequence of attendance has incurred any expenditure (other than travelling and subsistence costs which are paid as separate allowances) which he or she would not otherwise incur including any expenditure on child care costs or any loss of earnings or benefit. There is, however, an overall maximum of £35.30 per day which may be paid in respect of financial loss for the first 10 days of service. This increases thereafter to £70.60.Any person may apply for excusal from jury service and summoning officers are instructed to treat with sympathy applications on the grounds of the need to care for young children.
Mortgage Arrears
Mr. Meale : To ask the Attorney-General if he will give by year the number of court actions for mortgage arrears or repossessions, by petty sessions division, since 1987.
The Attorney-General : Mortgage possession actions are a civil matter and as such come within the jurisdiction of the Chancery Division of the High Court and the county courts in England and Wales which are divided into six circuits.
The number of mortgage possession actions issued in the county courts since 1987 were :
|1987 |1988 |1989 |1990
------------------------------------------------------------------
Midland and Oxford |18,123 |13,965 |17,075 |28,651
North Eastern |11,248 |10,866 |10,656 |13,331
Northern |12,276 |11,547 |10,771 |13,818
South Eastern (London) |5,487 |5,673 |9,849 |19,963
South Eastern (Provinces) |17,854 |17,080 |26,135 |42,684
Wales and Chester |6,443 |6,080 |6,189 |9,477
Western |7,749 |7,444 |10,743 |17,554
Total |-------|-------|-------|-------
|79,180 |72,655 |91,418 |145,478
The number of writs for mortgage possession issued in the Chancery Division of the High Court since 1987 were :
1987 |1988 |1989 |1990 ------------------------------ 1,203 |1,206|1,981|2,818
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Mr. Meale : To ask the Attorney-General if he will give by year the number of court actions for mortgage arrears or repossessions in the Mansfield court area since 1987.
The Attorney-General : The number of mortgage possession actions issued in Mansfield county court since 1987 were :
|Number
---------------------
1987 |518
1988 |411
1989 |445
1990 |664
THE ARTS
British National Bibliography
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Minister for the Arts whether he will list the number of titles included in the British National Bibliography in each of the years 1960, 1970, 1980, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989 and 1990.
Mr. Renton : The number of titles included in the British National Bibliography is as follows :
Source of information |Year |Number
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimate based on books on the on-line file
published in that year |1960 |18,892
Number added to the on-line file in that
year |1970 |28,042
Number added to the on-line file in that
year |1980 |41,043
Number added to the on-line file in that
year |1985 |38,997
Number added to the on-line file in that
year |1986 |27,513
Number added to the on-line file in that
year |1987 |50,924
Number added to the on-line file in that
year |1988 |60,175
Number added to the on-line file in that
year |1989 |53,902
Number added to the on-line file in that
year |1990 |61,053
Libraries and Information Services Council
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will list the reports produced by the Libraries and Information Services Council for England in each year from 1986 to 1990.
Mr. Renton : The Library and Information Services Council has produced the following reports :
|Published by
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1986
The future development of libraries and |HMSO
information services: progress through |ISBN
planning and partnership |0 11 430011 9
Library and Information Services in 1985: |HMSO
Review by the Library and Information |ISBN
Services Council (included in Report by |0 10 223486 8
the Minister for the Arts on Library and
Information Matters during 1985)
Professional education and training for library
and information work: a review by the |tion Publishing
Library and Information Services Council |Limited
|ISBN
|0 85365 707 6
1987
Joint Enterprise: Roles and Relationships of |HMSO
the Public and Private Sectors in the |ISBN
Provision of Library and Information |0 11 430016 X
Services
Joint enterprise: Roles and Relationships of |Office of Arts and
the Public and Private sectors in the |Libraries
Provision of Library and Information
Services. Report of a seminar held on
Tuesday 21 July 1987.
Library and Information Services in 1986: |HMSO
Review by the Library and Information |ISBN
Services Council (included in Report by |0 10 225287 4
the Minister for the Arts on Library and
Information Matters during 1986)
1988
Financing Our Public Library Service: LISC's |J Whitaker and
Response |Sons
|ISBN
|0 85021 195 6
Library and Information Services in 1987: |HMSO
Review by the Library and Information |ISBN
Services Council (included in Report by |0 10 233288 6
the Minister for the Arts on Library and
Information Matters during 1987)
1989
The Minister for the Arts' Statement on |Office of Arts and
Public Library Policy: LISC's Response |Libraries
Library and Information Services in 1988: |HMSO
Review by the Library and Information |ISBN
Services Council (included in Report by |0 10 223689 5
the Minister for the Arts on Library and
Information Matters during 1988)
Role of Government in relation to the co- |limited circulation
ordination of library and information
services
1990
Library and Information Services in 1989: |HMSO
Review by the Library and Information |ISBN
Services Council (included in Report by |0 10 222290 8
the Minister for the Arts on Library and
Information Matters during 1989)
Public Library Services for Children and |British Library
Young People: A Statistical Survey |ISBN
|0 7123 3195 6
PRIME MINISTER
Norwegian Prime Minister
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister what was discussed at his meeting with his Norwegian counterpart on 13 February.
The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 21 February at column 223.
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Street Lighting
Dr. Twinn : To ask the Prime Minister if he will seek to improve co- ordination between the Home Office and Departments of Environment and Transport to identify where early action can be taken to reduce the public's fear of, and to help prevent, crime by improving the standard of street lighting in towns ; and if he will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : The Home Office has just received a first draft of a report of a major research study undertaken by the University of Southampton to assess the impact of improved streetlighting on crime and the fear of crime in the London borough of Wandsworth. The results are being considered. The Home Office is also engaged in a monitoring exercise on the link between lighting improvements and crime in four urban areas. When all the relevant information is to hand Home Office Ministers will consider, in conjunction with other Departments as appropriate, what further action is necessary to try and reduce the public's fear of crime.
German Chancellor
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister what matters were discussed during his meeting with Chancellor Kohl in Bonn on 11 February.
The Prime Minister : Chancellor Kohl and I discussed a number of current issues, including the Gulf, relations with the Soviet Union and European Community affairs. I look forward to developing our close relationship.
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