| Previous Section | Home Page |
Boiler Efficiency
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the EC directive on boiler efficiency ; and what representations he has received from interested parties in the United Kingdom on this draft directive.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The Government support the aim of improving boiler efficiency. However, we have substantial reservations about the draft directive, which, if implemented, would result in wasteful misallocation of resources ; several other member states also have reservations and discussions are continuing in the Council. We are pressing for extensive changes to the draft directive, and this line also reflects representations received from several interested parties.
Nuclear Power
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if, pursuant to the statement he issued on 1 May in support of nuclear power, he will set out the criteria on which he based his conclusion that nuclear energy remains an important environmental insurance for the future of this planet.
Column 90
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Government policy on nuclear power is set out in the environment White Paper "This Common Inheritance" Cm. 1200.
Kuwait (Ministerial Visit)
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish a summary of the decisions taken during his visit to Kuwait at the end of April.
Mr. Wakeham : My visit to Kuwait emphasised the ability of United Kingdom companies to assist the Kuwaitis with the reconstruction of their energy and related industries. In particular, my group included a number of firms offering expertise to deal with the burning oilwells. One of the main outcomes was to secure the agreement in principle of the Kuwait Oil Company to a proposal from the Kuwaiti British Fire Group--KBFG--a joint venture of AMEC, Taylor Woodrow and Wimpey to undertake a damage assessment survey of a number of wells in northern Kuwait. It is hoped that a formal contract will be awarded to KBFG in the near future.
Hinkley Point
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether his Department has begun the review of nuclear power indicated in his decision letter on the Hinkley Point C reactor.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : My decison letter on the Hinkley Point C reactor referred to the statement I made to the House on 9 November 1989. In that statement I made clear that the Government will review the prospects of nuclear power in the United Kingdom in 1994. The precise remit of the review will be set nearer the time. The review will be wide ranging and will take account of all relevant factors.
Belvedere Waste Disposal Plant
Mr. Evennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received to date about the proposed waste disposal plant in Belvedere.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : My right hon. Friend has directed Cory Environmental Limited to advertise its application for his consent to construct a waste-fired generating station at Belvedere and has allowed a period up to June 1991 in which objections can be made to him. To date, my Department has registered three objections to the application.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
CBI, Staffordshire
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last met the CBI in north Staffordshire to discuss the state of the local economy.
Mr. Leigh : The Secretary of State last met representatives of the CBI (midlands) during his visit to the region on 30 April 1991, when a wide range of business matters was discussed.
Column 91
Laboratory of the Government Chemist
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the 1991-92 annual budget for the Laboratory of the Government Chemist ; and what is the percentage allocated to staff costs.
Mr. Leigh : The Laboratory of the Government Chemist budget for 1991 -92 was published in estimates on 12 March 1991 and the gross total is £13.612 million. Of this sum the proportion allocated to staff costs, defined as salary, earnings-related NI
contribution--ERNIC--superannuation and overtime costs for both permanent and casual staff, is around 53 per cent. The Laboratory of the Government Chemist is funded on a net running cost basis, so the final expenditure outturn will depend on income generated during the year. This in turn may slightly affect the proportion of total expenditure accounted for by staff costs.
Patent Office
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the 1991-92 annual budget for the Patent Office ; and what is the percentage allocated to staff costs.
Mr. Leigh : The Patent Office budget for 1991-92 was published on 12 March 1991 and the gross total is £47.085 million. Of this sum the proportion allocated to staff costs, defined as salary, ERNIC, superannuation and overtime costs for both permanent and casual staff, is around 55 per cent. The Patent Office has, since 1 April 1991, been funded on a net running cost basis and the final expenditure outturn will thus depend on income generated during the year ; this in turn may slightly affect the proportion of total expenditure accounted for by staff costs.
Insolvency Service
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the 1991-92 annual budget for the insolvency service ; and what is the percentage allocated to staff costs.
Mr. Redwood : The Department's estimates were published on 12 March. Within these the Insolvency Service executive agency has been allocated a budget of £45.1 million. Of this the proportion allocated to staff costs, defined as salary, ERNIC, superannuation and overtime for both permanent and casual staff, is about 65 per cent.
National Weights and Measures Laboratory
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the 1991-92 annual budget for the National Weights and Measures Laboratory ; and what is the percentage allocated to staff costs.
Mr. Leigh : The Department's estimates were published on 12 March. Within these the National Weights and Measures Laboratory executive agency has been allocated a budget of £1.942 million. Of this, the proportion allocated to staff costs, defined as salary, ERNIC, superannuation and overtime for both permanent and casual staff, is about 52 per cent.
Column 92
National Engineering Laboratory
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the 1991-92 annual budget for the National Engineering Laboratory ; and what is the percentage allocated to staff costs.
Mr. Leigh : The Department's Estimates were published on 12 March. Within these the National Engineering Laboratory executive agency has been allocated a budget of £21.119 million. Of this, the proportion allocated to staff costs, defined as salary, ERNIC, superannuation and overtime for both permanent and casual staff, is about 41 per cent.
Radiocommunications Agency
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the 1991-92 annual budget for the Radiocommunications Agency ; and what is the percentage allocated to staff costs.
Mr. Redwood : The Radiocommunications Agency budget for 1991-92 was published in estimates on 12 March 1991. The gross total is £30.587 million. Of this sum the proportion allocated to staff costs, defined as salary, ERNIC, superannuation and overtime costs for both permanent and casual staff is 42 per cent.
The Radiocommunications Agency has, since 1 April 1990, been funded on a net running cost basis and the final expenditure outturn will thus depend on income generated during the year ; this in turn may slightly affect the proportion of total expenditure accounted for by staff costs.
Companies House
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the 1991-92 annual budget for Companies House ; and what is the percentage allocated to staff costs.
Mr. Redwood : Companies House's budget for 1991-92 was published in estimates on 12 March 1991 and the gross total is £35.811 million. Of this sum, the proportion allocated to staff costs, defined as salary, ERNIC, superannuation and overtime costs for both permanent and casual staff, is around 46 per cent. Companies House is funded on a net running cost basis and the final expenditure outturn will thus depend on income generated during the year ; this in turn may slightly affect the proportion of total expenditure accounted for by staff costs.
National Physical Laboratory
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the 1991-92 annual budget for the National Physical Laboratory ; and what is the percentage allocated to staff costs.
Mr. Leigh : The National Physical Laboratory expenditure budget for 1991-92 was published in estimates on 12 March 1991 and the gross total is £45.193 million. Of this sum, the proportion allocated to staff costs, defined as salary, ERNIC, superannuation and overtime costs for both permanent and temporary staff, is 43 per cent. The NPL has, since 1 April 1991, been funded on a net running
Column 93
cost basis and the final outturn will therefore depend on income generated during the year. This may affect the proportion of total expenditure accounted for by staff costs.Warren Spring Laboratory
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the 1991-92 annual budget for the Warren Spring Laboratory ; and what is the percentage allocated to staff costs.
Mr. Leigh : The Warren Spring Laboratory budget for 1991-92 was published in estimates on 12 March 1991 and the gross total is £8.45 million. Of this sum, the proportion allocated to staff costs, defined as salary, ERNIC, superannuation and overtime costs for both permanent and casual staff is around 78 per cent. The Warren Spring Laboratory has, since 1 April 1990, been funded at a net running cost basis and the final expenditure outturn will thus depend on income generated during the year ; this in turn may slightly affect the proportion of total expenditure accounted for by staff costs.
National Environment Week
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what contribution will be made by his Department towards National Environment Week.
Mr. Leigh : During National Environment Week my Department will be holding environment seminars for business at Birmingham and Slough in conjunction with the Department of the Environment, Department of Energy and Business in the Environment. These seminars are part of a wider regional programme to fulfil the commitment in last autumn's environmental White Paper "This Common Inheritance" to explain developments on environmental regulation and other environmental issues affecting business and to encourage businesses to use help which Government Departments can offer them.
Poland (Pollution Control)
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what matters relating to the sale of United Kingdom environmental pollution control to Poland were agreed during the visit of the President of Poland.
Mr. Leigh : The sale of such equipment was not discussed during President Walesa's visit, but my Department will be exploring the opportunities in this sector with the Polish authorities on 23 May at the joint commission talks in Warsaw.
Remote Sensing Satellite
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what contribution Her Majesty's Government have made to the development and use of (a) the European remote sensing satellite and (b) the along-track scanning radiometer.
Mr. Leigh : The Government have contributed almost £69 million to the European Space Agency's first European remote sensing satellite, ERS -1, which is due to be launched shortly. The Science and Engineering Research Council has also spent some £6 million in developing and supplying the along-track scanning
Column 94
radiometer--ATSR--instrument which will be flown on this satellite. Through the British developed synthetic aperture radar instrument to be carried on ERS-1, we will gain the capability to observe the earth's surface through cloud and in darkness. The ATSR will provide unprecedently accurate measurement of sea surface temperature.Export Credits Guarantee Department
Ms. Quin : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if, pursuant to the answer given to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson), on 2 May, Official Report , column 283 , he will give an estimate for the total sum to be paid out in fees by the Export Credits Guarantee Department to management consultants in connection with the proposed privatisation of the short-term insurance business of ECGD.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 13 May 1991] : About £3.5 million has been paid out in fees by ECGD to professional advisers up to 31 March 1991. Expenditure in 1991-92 will depend on progress with the privatisation, but current indications are that further costs of between £2 million and £3 million will be incurred.
The costs of the current privatisation of the short-term business of ECGD, including fees paid to advisers, will be reported to Parliament after the sale is completed.
Export Credits (Soviet Union)
Ms. Quin : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects the current review of medium-term export credits for the Soviet Union to be completed.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 13 May 1991] : Shortly.
Exports (USSR)
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what efforts he is making to improve the level of United Kingdom exports to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 13 May 1991] : Overseas Trade Services staff in the United Kingdom and Moscow provide a range of services to assist companies exporting to the USSR.
CIVIL SERVICE
Executive Agencies
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Minister for the Civil Service which of the 50 executive agencies are run on a trading fund basis ; which are subject to gross running costs control ; and which are subject to net running costs control.
Mr. Renton : The information requested is as follows.
Next Steps-Established Agencies |Financial
|Regimes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Building Research Establishment |NRC
Cadw (Welsh Historic Monuments) |GRC
Central Office of Information |TF
Central Veterinary Laboratory |NRC
Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment |GRC
Civil Service College |NRC
Companies House |NRC
Defence Research Agency |GRC
Directorate General of Defence Accounts |GRC
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency |GRC
Driving Standards Agency |OVTB
Employment Service |GRC
Forensic Science Service |GRC
Historic Royal Palaces |NRC
Historic Scotland |GRC
HMSO |TF
Hydrographic Office |GRC
Information Technology Services Agency |GRC
Insolvency Service |GRC
Intervention Board |GRC
Laboratory of the Government Chemist |NRC
Land Registry |NRC
Meteorological Office |GRC
Military Survey |GRC
National Engineering Laboratory |GRC
National Physical Laboratory |NRC
National Weights and Measures Laboratory |GRC
Natural Resources Institute |NRC
NHS Estates |GRC
Occupational Health Service |GRC
Ordnance Survey |NRC
Patent Office |NRC
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre |NRC
Radiocommunications Agency |NRC
RAF Maintenance |GRC
Rate Collection Agency (Northern Ireland) |GRC
Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency |GRC
Registers of Scotland |NRC
Resettlement Agency |GRC
Royal Mint |TF
Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency |GRC
Service Children's Schools (North West Europe) |GRC
Social Security Benefits Agency |GRC
Social Security Contributions Agency |GRC
Training & Employment Agency (Northern Ireland) |GRC
United Kingdom Passport Agency |GRC
Vehicle Certification Agency |NRC
Vehicle Inspectorate |TF
Veterinary Medicines Directorate |GRC
Warren Spring Laboratory |NRC
50 in number
Key:
GRC-Gross Running Costs.
NRC-Net Running Costs.
TF-Trading Fund.
OVTB-Driving Standards Agency is a non-statutory on-Vote
trading body whose current expenses are not classified as public
expenditure.
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Minister for the Civil Service if he will list all agency chief executives, and their grade stating whether they were appointed through open competition and whether they were serving civil servants or direct entrants.
Mr. Renton : The table provides the information requested in respect of the 50 existing "next steps" agency chief executives at 10 May 1991. The Government's objective is to secure the right person for each of these important jobs, and open competition is now the presumption in doing so. With the exception of the defence support agencies, chief executives are directly accountable to the appropriate Minister ; and many chief executives have pay arrangements tailored to their particular employment.
Column 95
Agency |Chief Executive |Civil |Method of Appointment |Origin
|Service
|Grade
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Building Research Establishment |Dr. Roger Courtney |3 |Internal appointment |serving civil servant
CADW (Welsh Historic |John Carr |5 |open competition |direct entrant
Monuments)
Central Office of Information |Michael Devereau |4 |internal appointment |serving civil servant
Central Veterinary Laboratory |Tony Little |3 |open competition |serving civil servant
Chemical Biological Defence |Dr. Graham Pearson CB |3 |internal appointment |serving civil servant
Establishment
Civil Service College |Marianne Neville-Rolfe |3 |internal appointment |serving civil servant
Companies House |David Durham |4 |open competition |direct entrant
Defence Research Agency |Nigel Hughes |2 |open competition |serving civil servant
Directorate General of Defence |Michael Dymond |4 |internal appointment |serving civil servant
Accounts
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency |Stephen Curtis |3 |open competition |serving civil servant
Driving Standards Agency |Dr. Christopher Woodman |5 |internal appointment |serving civil servant
Employment Service |Michael Fogden |3<1> |internal appointment |serving civil servant
Forensic Science Service |Dr. Janet Thompson |4 |open competition |serving civil servant
Historic Royal Palaces |David Beeton |3 |open competition |direct entrant
Historic Scotland |Graeme Munro |3 |internal appointment |serving civil servant
HMSO |Dr. Paul Freeman |2 |open competition |serving civil servant
Hydrographic Office |Rear Admiral John Myers |- |armed forces appointment|armed forces
Information Technology Services |John Kenworthy |3 |internal appointment |serving civil servant
Agency
Insolvency Service |Peter Joyce |3 |open competition |serving civil servant
Intervention Board |Guy Stapleton |3 |internal appointment |serving civil servant
Laboratory of the Government |Dr. Richard Worswick |3 |open competition |direct entrant
Chemist
Land Registry |John Manthorpe |2 |open competition |serving civil servant
Meteorological Office |Dr. John Houghton CBE |2 |open competition |direct entrant
Military Survey |Major General Roy Wood |- |armed forces appointment|armed forces
National Engineering Laboratory |William Edgar |3 |open competition |direct entrant
National Weights and Measures |Dr. Seton Bennett |5 |open competition |serving civil servant
Laboratory
National Physical Laboratory |Dr. Peter Clapham |3 |open competition |serving civil servant
Natural Resources Institute |Anthony Beattie |3 |internal appointment |serving civil servant
NHS Estates |John Locke |3 |open competition |direct entrant
Occupational Health Service |Dr. George Sorrie |3 |open competition |serving civil servant
Ordnance Survey |Peter McMaster |3 |open competition |direct entrant
Patent Office |Paul Hartnack |3 |open competition |serving civil servant
Queen Elizabeth II Conference |Roy Kendrick |5 |open competition |direct entrant
Centre
Radiocommunications Agency |John Michell |3 |internal appointment |serving civil servant
RAF Maintenance |Air Vice Marshall Don |- |armed forces appointment|armed forces
|Campbell
Rate Collection Agency (Northern |David Gallagher |6 |open competition |serving civil servant
Ireland)
Recruitment and Assessment |Michael Geddes |3 |open competition |direct entrant
Services Agency
Registers of Scotland |James Barron |4 |open competition |serving civil servant
Resettlement Agency |Tony Ward |6 |internal appointment |serving civil servant
Royal Mint |Tony Garrett |3 |open competition |direct entrant
Scottish Fisheries Protection |Andrew McLeod |5 |internal appointment |serving civil servant
Agency
Service Childrens' Schools (North |Ian Mitchelson |4 |open competition |direct entrant
West Europe)
Social Security Benefits Agency |Michael Bichard |2 |open competition |direct entrant
Social Security Contributions |Ann Chant |5 |internal appointment |serving civil servant
Agency
Training and Employment Agency |Julian Crozier |3 |open competition |serving civil servant
(Northern Ireland)
UK Passport Agency |John Hayzelden |5 |internal appointment |serving civil servant
Vehicle Certification Agency |Derek Harvey |5 |internal appointment |serving civil servant
Vehicle Inspectorate |Ron Oliver |4 |internal appointment |serving civil servant
Veterinary Medicines Directorate |Dr. Michael Rutter |4 |open competition |direct entrant
Warren Springs Laboratory |Dr. John Reay |3 |internal appointment |serving civil servant
<1> Defence Support Agency
Civil Service College
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Minister for the Civil Service what is the 1991-92 annual budget for the Civil Service College ; and what is the percentage allocated to staff costs.
Mr. Renton : The management of the college's annual budget is a matter for the chief executive and I have asked her to write to the hon. Member direct.
Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Minister for the Civil Service what is the 1991-92 annual budget for the Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency ; and what is the percentage allocated to staff costs.
Mr. Renton : The management of the Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency annual budget is a matter for the chief executive and I have asked him to write to the hon. Member direct.
Efficiency Scrutinies
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Minister for the Civil Service how many efficiency scrutinies there have been since 1979.
Mr. Renton : A total of 309 efficiency scrutinies have been completed by Government Departments, in association with the efficiency adviser and the efficiency unit, since 1979, Twenty interdepartmental studies have also been completed over the same period. A number of scrutinies have also been conducted by other public sector organisations according to full scrutiny disciplines and with guidance from the efficiency unit.
Column 98
Occupational Health Service
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Minister for the Civil Service what is the 1991-92 annual budget for the Occupational Health Service ; and what is the percentage allocated to staff costs.
Mr. Renton : The management of the Occupational Health Service's annual budget is a matter for the chief executive and I have asked him to write to the hon. Member direct.
Agency Staff
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Minister for the Civil Service if he will clarify the numbers included in the table of staff employed in existing executive agencies which appeared in the Official Report , 30 April 1991, columns 112-13 .
Mr. Renton : I apologise for the fact that, owing to an administrative error, the final 0' was omitted from the numbers given in this table. The correct figures are included in the following table.
Next Steps-Executive Agencies established as of April
1991
----------------------------------------------------------
Building Research Establishment
Cadw (Welsh Historic Monuments)
Central Office of Information<1>
Central Veterinary Laboratory
Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment<2>
Civil Service College
Companies House
Defence Research Agency
Directorate General of Defence Accounts<2>
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
Driving Standards Agency
Employment Service
Forensic Science Service
Historic Royal Palaces
Historic Scotland
HMSO<1>
Hydrographic Office<2>
Information Technology Services Agency
Insolvency Service
Intervention Board
Laboratory of the Government Chemist
Land Registry
Meteorological Office
Military Survey<2>
National Engineering Laboratory
National Physical Laboratory
National Weights and Measures Laboratory
Natural Resources Institute
NHS Estates
Occupational Health Service
Ordnance Survey
Patent Office
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre
Radiocommunications Agency
RAF Maintenance<2>
Rate Collection Agency (Northern Ireland)
Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency
Registers of Scotland
Resettlement Agency
Royal Mint<1>
Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency
Service Children's Schools (North West Europe)<2>
Social Security Benefits Agency
Social Security Contributions Agency
Training and Employment Agency (Northern Ireland) 1,700
UK Passport Agency
Vehicle Certification Agency
Vehicle Inspectorate<1>
Veterinary Medicines Directorate
Warren Spring Laboratory
50 in number
Customs and Excise<3> (30 Executive Units)
<1> Trading funds.
<2> Defence Support Agency. Figure does not include
service
personnel.
<3> Moving towards full operation on next steps lines
following
publication of framework documents.
Staffing figures are based on staff in post 1 October
1990.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Natural Resources Institute
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the 1991-92 annual budget for the Natural Resources Institute ; and what is the percentage allocated to staff costs.
Mrs. Chalker : I have asked the chief executive of the Natural Resources Institute to write to the hon. Member.
Iraq (Sanctions)
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the Overseas Development Administration has to contribute to the United Nations Security Council appeal issued on 29 April for assistance to the 21 countries with special economic problems arising from their compliance with sanctions imposed against Iraq.
Column 100
Mrs. Chalker : Many of the countries adversely affected by the Gulf crisis are recipients of substantial British aid. It is primarily for the international financial institutions to tackle additional financing needs arising from the crisis, in the context of each country's overall balance of payments situation and economic adjustment efforts. We have supported the provision of additional finance through the International Monetary Fund and the World bank and are accelerating our International Development Association contributions to help finance increased World bank lending to the poorest countries.
Disaster Relief Appeals
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the Overseas Development Administration contributions made during 1991 to disaster relief appeals ; and if he has any plans to contribute to any further appeals in the near future.
Mrs. Chalker : Since 1 January 1991, the Overseas Development Administration has made the following contributions to international agency and other appeals.
US$1 million to UNDRO Gulf Contingency Planning appeal
£2.5 million to ICRC Gulf appeal
£5 million to UNHCR Africa appeals
£3 million to UNHCR Mozambique Refugees appeal
£3 million to ICRC for Horn of Africa appeals
£2 million to ICRC for Iraqi refugees in Iran
£10 million to Simple Truth' Appeal
US$10 million to UN appeals for Iraqi refugees
£0.25 million to LRCS for Bangladesh appeal
£0.5 million to UNDRO for Bangladesh appeal
The Government are considering further responses to appeals by the international agencies.
Botswana
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what part the senior veterinary officers, funded by his Department in Botswana, have played in the development and implementation of that country's policy of veterinary cordon fencing.
Mrs. Chalker : These officers are employed by the Government of Botswana : the United Kingdom aid programme helps the Botswana Government meet part of their costs. They are engaged in a variety of duties relating to livestock production, including the provision of professional advice on issues such as cordon fencing where relevant to their duties.
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funding his Department provides in respect of the principal hydrological adviser for the southern Okavango inte-grated water development scheme in Botswana.
Mrs. Chalker : The salary of the principal hydrological adviser, who is an employee of the Government of Botswana, is part-funded under the aid programme at a cost of some £15,000 per annum.
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if there has been an independent environmental impact assessment of the proposed southern Okavango integrated water development scheme which is receiving ODA funding.
Mrs. Chalker : A full environmental impact assessment was carried out in connection with the first phase of the
Column 101
project in the mid-1980s. A further investigation has recently been undertaken by Greenpeace at the invitation of the Botswana Government and its report is now being considered. The ODA was not involved in the funding of either study.Environmental Assessments
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what level of environmental assessment is conducted for activities undertaken by his Department ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Chalker : All programme managers in the Overseas Development Administration are required to ensure the environmental soundness of projects. Some projects may only require an initial environmental screening, whilst others may require a full environmental impact assessment. A manual of environmental appraisal to help programme managers judge the level of environmental assessment required was issued in March 1989 and is accompanied by a mandatory training seminar. A copy of the manual is in the Library. The manual is currently being up-dated.
Kurdistan and Bangladesh
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimates he has of the cost to the Overseas Development Administration of the use of Ministry of Defence forces in humanitarian relief in (a) Kurdistan and (b) Bangladesh.
Column 102
Mrs. Chalker : Under longstanding arrangements for cost-sharing, the Overseas Development Administration refunds to the Ministry of Defence only the additional costs incurred as a direct result of the armed forces' involvement in disaster relief operations overseas. The cost to the ODA of service participation in relief operations for Iraqi refugees up to and including 9 May is estimated at £5 million. Continuing costs thereafter, at present rates of activity, are estimated at £500,000 per week. The initial estimate of the total cost to ODA of the armed forces' contribution to cyclone relief in Bangladesh is £250,000.
United Nations Organisations
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish a chart showing the United Kingdom's contribution to the United Nations Development Programme, the UNICEF core programme, the United Nations disaster relief co-ordinator, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the World Food Programme, in 1979 and 1991, in current prices, and in constant 1991 prices, showing for each the percentage change between 1979 and 1991.
Mrs. Chalker [holding answer 9 May 1991] : The information is as follows :
Column 101
Contributions in 1979 and 1989 at current and constant prices
£ thousands
|1979 (current |1979 (at constant |1989 |Percentage change in|Percentage change in
|prices) |1989 prices) |1989 prices |current prices
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UNDP |28.533 |59.058 |26.001 |-55.9 |-8.9
UNICEF<1> |5.800 |12.005 |8.000 |-33.4 |+37.9
UNDRO |100 |207 |391 |+88.9 |+391.0
UNHCR |8.987 |18.601 |19.316 |+3.8 |+214.9
WFP<2> |7.017 |14.524 |15.674 |- |-
<1> Contribution to core programme only.
<2> Figures for 1979 and 1989 for WFP are not comparable. Prior to 1987 some food aid through the world food programme was classified
as bilateral aid and therefore is not included in the 1979 figure. It is not possible retrospectively to identify these amounts. Therefore the
percentage change has not been calculated.
Note: Information is based on 1989 prices, using 1989 expenditure figures. This is the most recent year for which firm figures are available.
PRIME MINISTER
Turkey (British Journalists)
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister whether Her Majesty's Government have made representations to Turkey over the detention and expulsion of Robert Fisk, a journalist working for The Independent , and the banning of all journalists of The Independent from working in Turkey.
| Next Section
| Home Page |