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Mr. Sproat : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list United Kingdom regional airports from which scheduled flights leave to airports abroad, other than in north America.
Mr. Norris : Scheduled passenger flights to airports abroad, other than in north America and the Caribbean, leave the United Kingdom regional airports listed :
Aberdeen
Belfast International
Birmingham
Blackpool
Bristol
Cardiff-Wales
East Midlands
Edinburgh
Glasgow
Humberside
Leeds Bradford
Liverpool
Manchester
Newcastle
Norwich
Plymouth
Southampton
Teesside
Source : BAA Flight Guide, Summer 1992 edition.
Motor Vehicles Register
Mr. Stephen : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will introduce a public register of motor vehicles on lease or hire purchase, together with an obligation to register, as a measure to protect innocent purchasers and intermediaries from fraud.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : No. Hire Purchase Information plc (HPI) has for many years maintained a record of third party interests. Motor traders have ready access to this information and I understand that HPI is considering how it may be made more readily available to the general public. I see no reason for the public sector to duplicate this service.
Charter Flights
Mr. Sproat : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list United Kingdom regional airports from which charter flights to airports abroad leave.
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Mr. Norris : Comprehensive information about the United Kingdom regional airports from which charter flights leave for airports abroad in the current season is not available in the Department. Information relating to 1991 is available in "UK Airports : Annual Statements of Movements, Passengers and Cargo 1991", published by the Civil Aviation Authority as CAP 504.
Severn Bridge
Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make an assessment of the effect on small businesses in the Severnside area of the recent increases in toll charges on the Severn bridge.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle [holding answer 6 July 1992] : A report by Pieda plc which was recently published by the Department of Employment concluded, on the basis of a survey of businesses in Avon and south Wales, that the second Severn crossing scheme, taking account of the new tolls, would have a positive effect on local trading and commercial activity, and stimulate investment opportunities in south Wales. Copies of the executive summary of the report, entitled "The Economic Impact of the Second Severn Crossing", are in the House Library.
Road Blocks, France
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has had concerning the impact on United Kingdom trade, tourism and the free movement of goods and people of the road blocks set up by French hauliers, dockers and farmers in Macon, Narbonne, Perpignan and elsewhere ; what proposals he has to approach the French ambassador to the Court of St. James on the matter ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle [holding answer 6 July 1992] : We have received representations from or on behalf of individual transport operators and the relevant trade associations. My right hon. Friend is keeping in close and regular contact with Mr. Bianco, his French counterpart, and is urging him to find solutions to this appalling situation as quickly as possible.
Trust Ports
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what legislative provisions govern the freedom of trust ports not to release their annual report and accounts to interested parties or the public.
Mr. Norris : The relevant provision, which will be applicable where it has been incorporated in local harbour legislation, is section 50 of the Harbours, Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847. This provides for the harbour undertakers to prepare annual accounts and send a copy to the county clerk, who will open them for inspection by the public for a small fee.
Yachts
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what advice he gives (a) Commonwealth countries and (b) Caribbean nations on apprehending stolen United Kingdom registered yachts.
Mr. Norris : Tracing and recovering stolen yachts and apprehending those responsible is essentially a police matter working in co-operation with foreign law enforcement agencies.
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Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to improve (a) the use of ships registered papers and (b) the registration of yachts within the EC.Mr. Norris : My right hon. Friend has no such plans.
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies he has made of (a) the principal destinations and (b) the sale of United Kingdom registered yachts stolen from the United Kingdom.
Mr. Norris : The information requested is not available centrally and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.
Tilbury
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met the management of the recently privatised Port of Tilbury to discuss the write-off of outstanding loans ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris : There are no Government loans to the Port of Tilbury.
Marine Theft
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last attended a conference on marine theft from the leisure sector in (a) the EC and (b) worldwide.
Roads, West Lancashire
Mr. Pickthall : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on the proposed improvement scheme for the A59 and A570 roads in west Lancashire ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Consulting engineers were appointed last year to investigate possible routes for three schemes in the Liverpool-Preston corridor ; the A59 Ormskirk-Walmer bridge improvement (which would incorporate a bypass of Burscough) ; the A570 Ormskirk bypass ; and the A570 Scarisbrick and Pinfold bypass. This work is still at an early stage. I cannot yet say when we shall be able to publish proposals.
Ports (Loans)
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the outstanding loans between the Government and the Port of London authority and the Port of Tilbury.
Mr. Norris : The Port of London authority repaid all its outstanding Government loans in April 1992.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Fire Station, Crossmaglen
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the current projected start date for work on the new fire station, Crossmaglen, Newry ; what are the reasons for delays in the commencement of the building work ; and if he will take steps to ensure that the work is started within the current financial year.
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Mr. Atkins : The fire authority considered tenders for the fire station at Crossmaglen on 23 June 1992 and awarded a contract. Work will commence within the next few months and should be completed in the spring of 1993. The delay in the commencement of building work arose as a result of the authority's decision to retender.
Customs Clearance
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to introduce measures to assist customs clearance agents (a) to prepare for the social impact of and (b) to cope with the economic consequences of the removal of tax barriers within the EC on 1 January 1993.
Mr. Atkins : European social fund assistance is being used by the Training and Employment Agency and others to finance activities aimed at the retaining or redeployment of those employed in small and medium-sized enterprises threatened with redundancies. There is also scope for some assistance within the existing INTERREG programme which was specifically designed to help border regions deal with the advent of the single market. In addition, assistance may become available as a result of recent proposals by the European Commission on the redeployment of customs agents, but it will be some time before final details are known.
Official in the Department of Economic Development, including the Training and Employment Agency, can offer detailed advice about existing initiatives and have been in contact with customs clearance agents' representatives.
Scottish Power
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent communications his Department has had with Scottish Power concerning plans to connect the province's electricity grid with the Scottish grid via a sea bed cable.
Mr. Atkins : None. The project is being progressed by Northern Ireland Electricity and Scottish Power directly.
Civil Servants
Mr. Ian Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civil servants in his Department are paid at a rate exceeding that of a Cabinet Minister.
Mr. Mates : Three officials currently earn more than £63,047, the total salary of a Cabinet Minister, including reduced parliamentary salary.
District Electoral Areas
Mr. Trimble : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when a boundary commissioner will be appointed for the purpose of forming district electoral areas ; and what is the timetable for his reports.
Mr. Hanley : My right hon. Friend has today appointed Dr. Maurice Hayes as district electoral areas commissioner to report on the grouping of local government wards in district council areas for local elections. The commissioner is an independent officer and it will be for him to decide his precise timetable ; but the submission of the commissioner's report will be in time to enable my
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right hon. Friend to lay before Parliament a draft Order in Council making provision for electoral areas prior to the general local elections to be held in May 1993.Water Disconnections
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table showing the number of water disconnections in Northern Ireland in each year since 1979.
Mr. Atkins : The information requested is as follows :
Year |Number --------------------- 1979 |48 1980 |59 1981 |134 1982 |123 1983 |345 1984 |913 1985 |651 1986 |388 1987 |318 1988 |408 1989 |292 1990 |258 1991 |385
NATIONAL HERITAGE
Summer Solstice Celebrations
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what reports he has received of damage to monuments or land in the counties of Hampshire, Wiltshire, Gloucester, Avon, Dorset, Somerset and Devon for which he has responsibility, resulting from the various manifestations to celebrate the 1992 summer solstice.
Mr. Key : Neither I nor my statutory advisers, English Heritage, have received any reports of any damage in the counties listed by my hon. Friend. In respect of Stonehenge, English Heritage advises that due to the vigilance of its representatives and the Wiltshire police, no damage occurred at the monument.
Grant Aid
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will establish grant-aid funding to heritage projects which do not gain private good from public funds ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : The Department of National Heritage supports a number of heritage projects, both directly and indirectly, through agencies such as English Heritage and the National Heritage Memorial Fund. In all of the grant regimes funded by DNH resources, the primary objective is to ensure the preservation of the historic buildings, sites, or works of art concerned, or to enhance our knowledge, understanding and enjoyment of the national heritage, by providing financial assistance which would not otherwise be available. Such policies are in the public, rather than private, interest.
Civil Servants
Mr. Ian Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many civil servants in his Department are paid at a rate exceeding that of a Cabinet Minister.
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Mr. Key : The total salary, including reduced parliamentary salary, of most Cabinet Ministers is £63,047. The number of civil servants in the Department of National Heritage whose pay currently exceeds this figure is one.
Church Buildings
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will give financial assistance to the listed grade II church of All Saints, Clayton-with-Frickley, south Yorkshire to cover the costs of subsidence damage ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : The church is potentially eligible for grant towards repairs from English Heritage, and an approach has been made by the parish. However, the major part of the repair bill is attributable to subsidence caused by undermining and the parish is pursuing a claim against British Coal for a significant proportion of the costs. A decision by English Heritage will not be possible until the question of compensation has been settled.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what assessment he has made of the practice in other EC countries of state subsidy of heritage church buildings ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : No specific study has been undertaken, but general information suggests that United Kingdom grant regimes for historic buildings compare favourably with those of most other European countries.
Sports Councils
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how much cash from the Sports and Arts Foundation has been disbursed to (a) Wales, (b) the Sports Council for Wales, (c) the Sports Council for England and (d) the Sports Council for Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key [holding answer 3 July 1992] : The Foundation for Sport and the Arts has allocated grants totalling £1,902,380 to projects in Wales, up to 5 April 1992. No grants have been made direct to the Sports Council for Wales, the Sports Council GB or the Sports Council for Scotland. The foundation is an independent body whose grants are made at the discretion of the trustees within the terms of the foundation's trust deed.
Royal Parks Constabulary
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what statutory protection exists for constables of the Royal Parks constabulary from unfair dismissal ; what statutory restrictions exist on their taking industrial action ; what statutory police federation exists to represent them ; and what statutory restrictions exist on their entitlement to join a trade union.
Mr. Key [holding answer 30 June 1992] : No statutory protection exists from unfair dismissal for constables of the Royal Parks constabulary. In line with other police forces, they are an excluded category by virtue of section 146 (3) of the Employment Protection Consolidation Act 1978. There are similarly no statutory restrictions on their taking industrial action or their entitlement to join a trades union. Constables of the Royal Parks constabulary are
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represented by the National Union of Civil and Public Servants and many have exercised their right to join that trades union. No statutory police federation exists to represent the Royal Parks constabulary.PRIME MINISTER
Darwin Initiative
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the answer of 24 June, Official Report, columns 200-1, if he is now able to say what funding for the Darwin initiative will be ; if he will make a statement on his plans to set up the initiative ; how it will relate to the United States biodiversity project based in New York ; what further action he plans to conserve biological diversity ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Newton : I have been asked to reply.
We are asking interested parties to come forward with ideas on how best to develop a framework for the Darwin initiative and to set priorities for action. We will consider the appropriate level of funding once we have decided those priorities. The Darwin initiative is based on United Kingdom expertise in the field of biodiversity, but we will be looking at action which other countries are taking. In addition to launching this initiative I have also written to my EC and G7 colleagues urging them to take follow- up action to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, including taking forward the convention on biodiversity.
Global Technology
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Prime Minister, further to his speech at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, when he plans to hold the global technology partnership conference ; where it will be held ; who will be the invitees ; which British companies will be involved ; what discussions he held with British companies prior to announcing the conference ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Newton : I have been asked to reply.
The technology partnership initiative will extend the work of the United Kingdom throughout the preparations for the Earth summit to promote the role of technology co-operation in achieving sustainable development. It will provide developing countries with the opportunity to gain direct access to information on environmentally sound technologies, know-how, best practices and case studies available in the United Kingdom and will open up direct channels of communication with British companies.
The initiative will be launched by a conference and exhibition in the first half of 1993. Officials are currently working on the details of both. We propose to invite representatives of developing countries and to approach United Kingdom companies and others who have experience in providing environmental solutions for developing countries.
Non-governmental Organisations
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Prime Minister which non-governmental organisations he will be inviting to the global forum in June ; if NGOs from developing nations will be involved in the preparation for the forum ; where
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the forum will be held ; what consultations he held with NGOs before announcing the forum ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Newton : I have been asked to reply.
We are discussing the arrangements with non-governmental organisations. Overseas NGOs will be invited to attend and we expect them to be involved in the preparations.
UNCED
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Prime Minister, further to his speech at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, what extra amounts he intends to give to the following areas, stating for each over what time period the donation will be made and in what form (a) forestry conservation, (b) biodiversity, (c) energy efficiency, (d) population planning and (e) sustainable agriculture ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Newton : I have been asked to reply.
As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said at Rio, we are planning to make available substantial extra resources for these areas. New commitments will be made as part of the planning and management of our overseas aid programme.
Debt Burden
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Prime Minister if he has any plans to reduce the debt burden on developing countries and extend the Trinidad terms to other G7 nations ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Newton : I have been asked to reply.
The Government are fully committed to the agreed international debt strategy, and have given a strong lead in tackling the debt burden of the poorest and most heavily indebted countries. In addition to relieving developing countries of over $1 billion of aid loans, this Government have been responsible for both the Toronto and Trinidad initiatives. These were the first initiatives to result in the partial cancellation of the more substantial and burdensome debts owed by the poorest countries to export credit agencies.
The Paris club began implementing Trinidad terms in December, and seven countries have already benefited. The agreed terms give a 50 per cent. reduction in debts falling due in the course of the debtor country's IMF programme of economic reform, and commit creditors to consider reducing the whole stock of debt in three to four years' time if the debtor keeps to its IMF and Paris club agreements. The Government hope that Trinidad terms can be further developed in the direction of our original proposals, which were for a benchmark figure of two thirds reduction applied immediately to the whole stock of debt. It would also be an important step forward if all creditors, without exception, were to implement debt reduction under Trinidad terms.
Next Steps Agencies
Mr. Higgins : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to ensure that (a) letters from hon. Members to Ministers concerning next steps agencies which are concerned with political rather than administrative or
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commercial matters and (b) letters concerning the planning inspectorate will be replied to by Ministers and not chief executives.Mr. Newton : I have been asked to reply.
The Government's policy on dealing with letters from hon. Members on agency matters was most recently set out in the Government's reply to the Treasury and Civil Service Committee's 1990 report on the next steps initiative, Cm 1263, which said :
"It is for Ministers responsible for particular Agencies to respond in the way they consider most helpful and appropriate to inquiries raised by Members. Ministers will normally ask the Chief Executive to reply to letters which concern day-to-day operational matters delegated to the Agency".
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