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Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 6 March 1991

TRANSPORT

Light Dues

Sir David Price : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what decisions he has taken about light dues in 1991-92 ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Rifkind : After three successive years in which light dues have been reduced, I regret that increases in costs over that period make a 6.7 per cent. increase in the light dues tariff unavoidable this year. This is not unexpected and was anticipated in the light dues statement of my predecessor a year ago. Even with this increase, which is below the rate of inflation, light dues are still below their 1987 level and are at the same cash level as in 1981. In real terms the burden has been reduced by about half in a decade. Coupled with the tariff change there are two measures which will particularly benefit the regular payers of light dues. First, I am satisfied that there is room for a second year of the "bargain break" introduced in 1990-91 whereby the maximum number of chargeable voyages in the cargo sector will be reduced from seven to six. This will benefit shipping which has contributed in the past to the strength of the liquid funds of the general lighthouse fund. For individual ships the "bargain break" represents a 14 per cent. reduction in their annual liability.

Secondly, in response to representations from the shipping industry, I am revising the dues liability for ships paying on a per voyage basis. From April such ships will be required to pay dues on no more than one voyage per month ; and "month" for this purpose will be a rolling, rather than calendar, month. This replaces the present rule under which ships of less than 25,000 net tonnage have been liable to dues on two voyages per calendar month (up to the exemption limit) and ships of 25,000 net tonnage and over have been liable to dues on one such voyage. This will have significant cash flow benefits for most cargo shipping, and for some ships the total liability in the year will also be reduced.

The necessary order to give effect to these changes will be laid shortly.

I have not yet reached a conclusion on the recommendations in the British Ports Federation report about the extension of light dues to pleasure craft, but this matter is being actively considered. Any change here would almost certainly require primary legislation.

Road Construction

Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much he expects his Department to spend on road construction in 1991-92 ; and what new schemes are expected to start construction.

Mr. Chope : Spending on road construction, including land acquisition, in 1991-92 will total over £1,300 million.

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A total of 53 new schemes, as listed, are expected to be started. Whether and when individual schemes start depend on the satisfactory completion of the statutory procedures.

New Starts 1991-92 Eastern

A14 (M1 A1) Contract 2

A14 (M1 A1) Contract 3

A14 (M1 A1) Contract 5N

A14 (M1 A1) Contract 8

A14 (M1 A1) Contract 9

M25 Junction 15 16 widening

A12 Gorleston relief road

A11 Thetford Bridgham

A602 Little Wymondley bypass

A5 Little Brickhill bypass

A41 Kings Langley bypass

A41 Berkhamsted bypass

A47 East Dereham North Tuddenham

A11 Four Wentways Newmarket

A11 Besthorpe Wymondham

A11 Newmarket Red Lodge

A47 Narborough bypass

South East

M20 Junction 5 8 improvement

A20 Court Wood Dover

A20 Folkestone Court Wood Contract 2

A23 Warninglid Sayers Common

A41 Wendlebury Bicester

A27 Westhampnet bypass

A27 Crossbush bypass

A23 Handcross Pease Pottage

A2 Hardshoulders

M25 Clackett Lane motorway service area

A3 Milford bypass

A339 Basingstoke bypass

A420 Kingston Bagpuize bypass

North West

M66 Denton Middleton Contract 4

M56 Junction 4 6 widening

A568 Widnes Eastern bypass

A585 Fleetwood Dock Street

A59 Greengates Gutteridge

London

Hackney M11 Contract 4

A40 Long Lane

A13 Blackwall/Cotton Street

A13 Butcher Row improvement

West Midlands

M5 Junction 6 8 widening

A5 Fazeley, Two Gates and Wilnecote bypass

A423 Southam bypass

A38 Fradley Lane

Yorkshire and Humberside

A638 Doncaster North Bridge relief road

East Midlands

A16 Ludborough bypass

A16 Stickford bypass

Northern

A595 Egremont bypass

A596 Wigton bypass

A590 Dalton bypass

A1 Marshall Meadows improvement

A1 Brownieside improvement

South West

A30 Okehampton Launceston

A39 Wadebridge bypass

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Public Bodies (Appointments)

Sir John Wheeler : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport to which posts in public bodies he appoints individuals where the posts are (a) part-time and (b) remunerated by more than £50,000 per annum.

Mr. McLoughlin : Only one : the chairmanship of the Civil Aviation Authority.

Disabled Employees

Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of those employed in his Department are disabled.

Mr. McLoughlin : Of the Department's current staff of 15,274, 187 are registered as disabled (1.24 per cent.). A further 188 staff, who have indicated that they have disabilities, have not registered their disability.

Antares Inquiry

Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish the results of the inquiry into the sinking of the vessel Antares from Carradale ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. McLoughlin [holding answer 4 March 1991] : I understand that the inspector's inquiry is likely to be completed by the early summer.

Under the Merchant Shipping (Accident Investigation) Regulations, a minimum of two months will then be needed while the report is considered by persons whose reputations are likely to be adversely affected. Unless the Secretary of State finds good reason not to publish, this will follow as soon as possible after the chief inspector has submitted his final report.

Inland Waterways

Mrs. Golding : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to carry out his duties under section 13 of the Transport Act 1978 to promote a policy for the use of inland waterways for commercial transport.

Mr. Baldry : I have been asked to reply.

The Government wish to see maximum use of rivers and canals for freight transport where it is commercially sensible. But they take the view that customers should be free to choose the mode of transport best suited to their needs. The Government's role is to ensure that conditions of competition are fair and subject to proper safety and environmental standards.

However, my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Transport may give grants under section 36 of the Transport Act 1981 towards inland waterway freight facilities. This brings environmental benefits by reducing the number of lorries on unsuitable roads.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Property Marking

Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Attorney-General whether it is the policy of the departments for which he is responsible to mark property with an indelible mark or similar means of identification.

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The Attorney-General : The Departments for which I am responsible do not at present have a policy of indelibly marking equipment. Each Department records the serial number of equipment where such equipment is so marked.

The Crown prosecution service requires all offices to maintain a register of valuable items of equipment recording serial numbers or other identification marks. Line managers are required periodically to check equipment against the register.

The Treasury Solicitor's Department is introducing an asset register identifying assets within the Department and recording date of purchase, type of asset, and its location.

Katyn Massacre

Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Attorney-General, pursuant to his answer of 6 February, Official Report, column 140, if he will now reconsider the status of the eight documents contained on the file with Public Record Office references FO 371/34563-345900 and currently identified as withheld.

The Attorney-General : The eight papers referred to from the 1943 Foreign Office file on Polish-Soviet relations are retained by that Department under section 3(4) of the Public Records Act 1958. My noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor is satisfied, on advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, that the documents are properly retained in accordance with the arrangements set out in paragraphs 28 to 31 of the White Paper "Modern Public Records", Cmnd 8531, March 1982.

Omar Bakri Mohammed

Mr. Sumberg : To ask the Attorney-General whether the Director of Public Prosecutions will initiate proceedings to prosecute Omar Bakri Mohammed for incitement to murder.

The Attorney-General : I understand that the Metropolitan police are investigating possible offences by Omar Bakri Mohammed in the light of statements attributed to him by the media. The result of the investigation will be reported to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Authorised Conveyancing Practitioners Board

Mr. Bellingham : To ask the Attorney-General whether the Lord Chancellor has decided whom he proposes to appoint as members of the Authorised Conveyancing Practitioners Board.

The Attorney-General : My noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor has today appointed the following people to serve as members of the Authorised Conveyancing Practitioners Board. Alan Brakefield

Tamara Goriely

Alan Mills

Kate Mortimer

June O'Dell, OBE.

The chairman of the board is John Sadler CBE, whose appointment was announced by the Lord Chancellor on 20 December 1990.

Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct

Mr. Bellingham : To ask the Attorney-General whether the Lord Chancellor has decided whom he proposes to appoint as members of the Lord Chancellor's advisory committee on legal education and conduct.

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