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Column 376
M25
Sir Michael Grylls : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will state the estimated cost of his Department's proposal for new feeder roads between the M3 junction and the M4 junction of the M25.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The estimated cost of the proposed improvement between junction 12 (M3) and 15 (M4) of the M25 is £144 million at 1992 prices.
Bus Project
Mr. Carrington : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make resources available to the boroughs concerned in the south and west London bus priority demonstration project.
Mr. Norris : I am pleased to announce the allocation of £300,000 of supplementary credit approvals in 1992-93 for the first stage of the south and west London bus priority demonstration project.
Air Travel Trust Fund
Mr. Wells : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action the Government are taking to address the depletion of the air travel trust fund revealed in the ATT annual report and accounts.
Mr. MacGregor : The Government intend to legislate, when parliamentary time allows, to allow the Air Travel Trust fund to be replenished.
In the meantime, I have laid a minute informing Parliament of my proposal to grant a guarantee to enable the fund to borrow to meet its obligations.
Harbour Authorities
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those harbour authorities where a direction has been given under the provisions of section 22 of the Aviation and Maritime Security Act 1990.
Mr. Norris : The harbours affected by directions issued to harbour authorities under section 22 of the Aviation and Maritime Security Act 1990 are listed :
Scotland
Aberdeen
Ardrossan*
Cairnryan
Invergordon*
Leith (Edinburgh)
Lerwick
Scrabster
Stranraer
Northern Ireland
Belfast
Larne
Wales
Cardiff
Fishguard
Holyhead
Pembroke Dock
Swansea
England
Brighton
Dartmouth
Dover
Felixstowe
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FleetwoodFolkestone
Harwich, Parkeston Quay
Heysham
Kingston upon Hull
Liverpool
London
Newhaven
North Shields
Plymouth
Poole
Portsmouth
Ramsgate
Sheerness
Southampton
Tilbury
Torquay*
Weymouth
*= although directions have been served they are at present dormant as no relevant passenger services operate from these harbours. In addition, the following harbours have been the subject of directions given to harbour authorities under section 22 of the Aviation and Maritime Security Act 1990 but are now no longer covered as the direction has been revoked by a further direction given under section 22, as permitted under section 46.
Scotland
Lochboisdale
Oban
Stornoway
Ullapool
England
Grimsby
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those bodies of constables empowered under section 22(3) of the Aviation and Maritime Security Act 1990 to search or enter a private dwelling.
Mr. Norris : Constables empowered to search or enter a private dwelling under section 22(3), as qualified by sections 22(4) and (5), of the Aviation and Maritime Security Act 1990, are, in the case of England, Scotland or Wales, those from constabularies which are maintained by a police authority or an authority which has entered into an agreement with the Police Complaints Authority under section 96(1) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 ; and, in the case of Northern Ireland, those from constabularies which are maintained by the Police Authority for Northern Ireland or an authority which has entered into an agreement with the Independent Commission for Police Complaints for Northern Ireland under article 16 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Order 1987.
Such powers exist only where there are extant directions, issued by the Secretary of State under section 22(1) to the harbour authority, for searching to be carried out.
Airports
Mr. Haselhurst : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to receive a progress report from the working group, chaired by his Department, which is taking forward the Civil Aviation Authority's advice on runway capacity in the south-east.
Mr. Norris : The working group is making useful progress and will publish next year its advice on future runway capacity. Its timetable is demanding and it has no plans to prepare an interim report.
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ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Green Minister
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Attorney-General if he will outline the priorities for future action of the green Minister in his Department (a) over the next year and (b) over this Parliament ; and if he will make a statement.
The Attorney-General : I would refer the hon. Member to my answer of 15 June concerning the purchasing, energy use and waste management policies of the Departments for which I am responsible.
Public Bodies
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Attorney-General which non-departmental public bodies are sponsored by his Department ; which of these are audited by the National Audit Office ; which firms of private accountants audits each of the others ; by what method of tendering contracts to such firms are awarded ; and for what duration.
The Attorney-General : The Departments for which I am responsible do not sponsor any non-departmental public bodies.
Trades Union Congress
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Attorney-General, pursuant to his answer of 6 July, if he will publish in the Official Report the letter of 14 February sent by the secretary of the Law Commission to the TUC and the subsequent reply.
The Attorney-General : With the consent of the senders, I have caused copies of each of the letters to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
NATIONAL HERITAGE
Business Sponsorship Incentive Scheme
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what information he has regarding awards made for arts projects in (a) Blaenau Gwent and (b) Wales by the business sponsorship incentive scheme in 1992.
Mr. Key : To date, 27 awards have been made to arts organisations in Wales in 1992, representing a total of £180,356 in Government money. Of these, two awards have gone to arts projects in Blaenau Gwent. The garden festival, Wales has won an award of £13,000 to match sponsorship by Optrex and Trecco Bay leisure park. The second award of £2,000 is to South Wales Potters for a ceramic display at the garden festival, sponsored by Bath Potters Supplies and Work Shop Gallery.
Royal Watercolour Society
Mrs. Gillan : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what discussions he has had with the Royal Watercolour Society concerning the renovation of its collection of work by British artists ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : Neither my right hon. and learned Friend nor I have had any discussions with the Royal Watercolour Society, because none have been requested. As a watercolour enthusiast I would be happy to meet them.
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Football
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage whether he is ready to announce the conclusions of his
reconsideration of the all-seating requirements at Football League clubs.
Mr. Mellor : I am grateful to all those who have so promptly let me have their views following my announcement on 4 June that I was reconsidering certain aspects of the all-seating requirements. I have been struck by the consistency of the views which have emerged. I said on 4 June that I was not prepared to review either the principle of or the timetable for all-seating at first division grounds in the Football League, the new premier league. This view has been confirmed by the responses I have received and I have decided furthermore, in the light of consultation, to continue our existing policy for all-seating for clubs in the present second division. Many of these clubs have recently played in the higher division. All of them should aspire to do so. I have no doubt that they will want to prepare themselves to put those aspirations into practice by pressing ahead vigorously with an all-seating policy.
Having considered the submissions made to me, I can confirm that I am prepared to allow some standing accommodation to be retained at grounds in the third and fourth divisions provided terracing is safe. Clubs in these divisions should not see this as an easy option. They will need to ensure that such accommodation fully accords with the high standards of safety which all spectators have a right to expect. Clubs moving from the third to the second division will continue to have three seasons to convert to all- seater.
I continue to expect that the vast majority of clubs throughout the league will see as their ultimate goal the achievement of substantially seated grounds as part of their commitment to the principles of improved spectator safety and comfort defined by Lord Taylor.
Note
References in the answer to divisions are to the present divisional structure of the Football League.
Upon the introduction of the premier league on 15 August, the present second division will become the first division and the current third and fourth divisions, divisions two and three.
Festivals
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how much money was provided by the Arts Council for the Sheffield festival 1991 and the Sheffield festival 1992 ; what guidance has been given by his Department to the Arts Council concerning continuity of funding and encouragement for the development of festivals aimed at both entertainment and urban regeneration ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : Yorkshire Arts provided £14,500 in 1991 and its successor body, the Yorkshire and Humberside regional arts board, £10,750 in 1992. The very helpful contribution which the festival makes to urban regeneration was taken into account in these funding awards. Decisions on funding allocations to arts organisations are taken at arm's length from the Government by the Arts Council and the regional arts boards. It is not for my Department to give specific guidance in this area.
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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Tibet
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it remains his policy to support resolution 1723 of the UN General Assembly 16th session relating to the demand for the cessation of practices which deprive the Tibetan people of their fundamental human rights and freedom, including their rights to self- determination.
Mr. Goodlad : The resolution called for the cessation of practices which deprived the Tibetans of their human rights, including their right to self-determination. Her Majesty's Government believe that all peoples have the right to self-determination, but that this right can be expressed in several different ways. In voting for this resolution, Her Majesty's Government, as was made clear at the time in the explanation of vote, was expressing its concern about the sufferings of the Tibetan people, as expressed in the preamble to the resolution.
Iraq
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to Iraq following the refusal of entry to the United Nations Special Commission team to the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation in Iraq.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The Security Council issued a presidential statement on 6 July reminding the Iraqis of their obligations under Security Council resolutions 687 and 707 to allow inspection teams immediate, unconditional and unrestricted access to all areas they wish to inspect. An envoy from the special commission is in Baghdad and in touch with Iraqi authorities.
Saudi Arabia
Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Saudi Government regarding the conditions in which refugees from Iraq are being held.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We regularly discuss Iraq-related issues with the Saudi Arabian authorities. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs did so on 2 July with the Saudi Foreign Minister. I understand that the Saudis are investing considerable resources in constructing a new camp to house Iraqi refugees in much improved conditions. This is welcome.
European Court
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions the European Court of Human Rights has considered cases related to United Kingdom taxation ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The European Court of Human Rights has not considered any cases related to United Kingdom taxation.
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Public Bodies
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which non-departmental public bodies are sponsored by his Department ; which of these are audited by the National Audit Office ; which firms of private accountants audits each of the others ; by what method of tendering contracts to such firms are awarded ; and for what duration.
Mr. Goodlad : The Foreign and Commonwealth Office currently sponsors 11 executive non-departmental public bodies and one tribunal. The bodies and their auditors are :
British Council National Audit Office
Commonwealth Institute National Audit office
Marshall Aid Commemoration National Audit Office
Commission
Crown Agents Holding and National Audit Office
Realisation Board
GB-China Centre Sayers Butterworth
British Association for Central B.M. May
and Eastern Europe
Crown Agents Price Waterhouse
Commonwealth Development KPMG Peat Marwick
Corporation
Commonwealth Scholarship Knox Cropper
Commission
Westminster Foundation for To be appointed
Democracy
Britain Russia Centre Gain Jackson Scott
The auditors for Crown Agents and the Commonwealth Development Corporation are appointed annually by the Secretary of State. A review of audit arrangements involving competitive tendering by leading firms of auditors is normally undertaken every six years. Audit of the administrative costs of the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission is carried out by Knox Cropper as part of the annual audit of the Association of Commonwealth Universities. The council of the ACU appoints its auditors annually following an assessment of their performance in the previous year.
The GB-China Centre, Britain Russia Centre and British Association for Central and Eastern Europe also appoint their auditors annually following an assessment of their performance in the previous year. The Westminster Foundation for Democracy, a new NDPB, has yet to appoint auditors ; it has obtained estimates from three recommended firms of chartered accountants.
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