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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 2 February 1993
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
EC Official Languages
Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to reduce the number of languages used within the European Community as official languages.
Philippines (Visas)
Mr. Tipping : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many applications were received for settlement visas for spouses from the Philippines during 1992 ; and how many were granted.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : This information is not available in London. I have asked the British embassy in Manila to provide the answer and I shall arrange for the hon. Member to receive a reply from the migration and visa correspondence unit of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office shortly.
Security Council (United Kingdom Seat)
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on discussions he has had on the United Kingdom's permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Reform and revitalisation of United Nations institutions and the United Nations secretariat is a current subject of discussions in New York and in various bilateral and other meetings. The United Nations special committee on the charter regularly discusses Security Council reform at its meetings. Cuba and Libya have been active in recent years in pressing the case for abolition of the veto. The wish of Japan, currently a Security Council member, to become a permanent member is well known. At Maastricht, we agreed that Britain and France, as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, will in the execution of their functions ensure the defence of the positions and the interests of the union without prejudice to their responsibilities under the provisions of the United Nations charter.
Mr. Sheikh Riaz Ahmad
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response the United Kingdom post in Paris has received from the French authorities concerning the case of Mr. Sheikh Riaz Ahmad, a British citizen, of Bradford, about whom the Secretary of State wrote to the hon. Member for Bradford, West, on 4 January last ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The British Consulate-General at Lille has received a report from the French frontier police
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on their refusal to allow Mr. Ahmed to land. This indicates Mr. Ahmed was refused entry because he was not able to prove his nationality. Since this explanation is less than satisfactory we are seeking clarification from the French authorities. I am in correspondence with the hon. Gentleman about this case and will write again when I have a further report.Yugoslav Republics (Embargoes)
Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the terms of each of the arms embargoes and arms export restrictions currently in force in respect of each former Yugoslav republic.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : United Nations Security Council resolution 713 (1991) imposes a complete embargo on deliveries of weapons and military equipment to the republics of the former Yugoslavia until the Security Council decides otherwise. Additionally, United Nations Security Council resolutions 757 and 787 (1992) prohibit any trade with Serbia and Montenegro.
Council of Ministers
Mr. Tredinnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish a statement of forthcoming business in the European Community's Council of Ministers.
Mr. Garel-Jones : The following is the information :
Council of Ministers Business for February 1993--
1. The following meetings are planned :
1/2 February : Foreign Affairs Council
8 February : Internal Market Council
9/10 February : Agriculture Council
15 February : Economic and Finance Council
(a) Foreign Affairs Council--1/2 February
Open debate on Danish Presidency work programme
Enlargement
EEA
East/Central Europe
Israel
Former Yugoslavia
GATT
Commercial Defence Instruments
Cocoa
(b) Internal Market Council--8 February
Completion of the Internal Market including follow-up to Council resolution on making the Single Market work
Sutherland report
Abolition of frontier controls
Regulation of control of conformity of third country imports Regulation on Community trade mark [poss]
Directive on medical devices
Scientific co-operation in food
Additional control measures (food)
Regulation laying down Council procedures for contaminants in food
Fruit juices and similar products (consolidated version of Dir. 80/181)
Regulation on business registers for statistical purposes Public Works Directive (amendment and consolidation [poss] (c) Agriculture Council--9/10 February
Commission presentation of 1993/94 price fixing proposals
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Common organisation of the market in bananas (8372/92 ; 4064/93)GATT agriculture (10534/92)
Transitional measures for Portugal (10181/92 ; 4064/93) Aid for durum wheat producers (4305/93)
Aid for sheepmeat producers [poss] (4307/93)
Limit to the production aid for processed tomato products (10495/92)
(d) Economic and Finance Council--15 February
The Danish Presidency work programme (open debate)
National actions to promote economic recovery in Europe and review of convergence programmes
7th VAT directive
Follow-up to Edinburgh conclusions on future financing of the Community
3. The Foreign Affairs Council will meet on 1-2 February. It will commence with an open debate on the Danish Presidency work programme. On Enlargement, the Council will approve arrangements for the opening session of accession negotiations, and on EEA, the Council will be asked to approve a mandate for the Commission to negotiate with EFTA an additional protocol to the EEA agreement. Ministers will then discuss Irael ; East/Central Europe ; Former Yugoslavia ; the GATT and Commercial Defence Instruments. Cocoa will also be discussed.
4. The Internal Market Council will meet on 8 February and will discuss completion of the Internal Market ; the Sutherland report and Abolition of frontier controls. Regulation of control of conformity of third country imports will also be discussed. Other agenda items are for clearance as points only.
5. The Agriculture Council will meet on 9-10 February. Ministers will discuss the price-fixing proposals for 1993-94 ; banana market regime ; agricultural aspects of the GATT negotiations ; transitional measures for Portugal ; aid for durum wheat producers and aid for sheepmeat producers. They may also discuss production aid for processed tomato products.
6. The Economic and Finance Council will meet on 15 February to discuss the ECOFIN work programme and continue discussions on actions to promote economic recovery and to follow up the agreement of the Edinburgh European Council on the future financing of the Community. There will be an open debate on the Danish Presidency work programme and the proposal to amend the 7th VAT directive (special VAT regime for second-hand goods, works of art, antique and collectors' items) is also scheduled for discussion.
EC Directives
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he has taken and is proposing to take in response to the letter of Commissioner Van Miert of 23 December 1992 concerning the implementation of directives 75/440/EEC and 79/869/EEC.
Mr. Maclean : I have been asked to reply.
In our response we shall set out what has been done in the United Kingdom to implement these directives. In accordance with the usual practice of the Commission, we treat such correspondence as in confidence between the Commission and ourselves.
Environmental Claims
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to be able to bring forward his proposals to amend the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 in relation to environmental claims.
Mr. Leigh : I have been asked to reply.
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Many environmental claims are already within the scope of the Trade Descriptions Act 1968. We intend to amend the Act to put it beyond doubt that all such claims are covered as soon as parliamentary time permits.LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Departmental Administrative Work
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what progress he has made regarding the location of his Department's administrative work in Cardiff ; what influence the market testing procedure will have on such progress ; what representations he has had from local authorities, the legal profession and others regarding the ultimate location of this work ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John M. Taylor : The Lord Chancellor and I have decided that the court procedures for enforcing the payment of unpaid parking charges, arising under the Road Traffic Act 1991, will be carried out at a parking enforcement centre attached to Cardiff county court. About 20 additional staff will eventually be required.
We envisaged that the Lord Chancellor's Department's pay and superannuation unit, consisting of some 40 staff, might be centralised and located in Cardiff. However, the position has been considered again as part of the market testing exercise in this area, and centralisation is now likely to take place in London. No representations have been received on this.
ENVIRONMENT
KPMG Management Consultants
Ms. Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the contracts awarded by his Department to KPMG Management Consultants over the past 12 months.
Mr. Howard : KPMG Management Consultants have been awarded four contracts by my Department over the past 12 months. These are : Relocation of Department of the Environment headquarters staff in London (awarded 15 April 1992) ;
Planning Inspectorate executive agency independent business advisor (awarded 13 May 1992) ;
Department of the Environment Relocation : Consultancy on Advanced Office Support System (awarded 21 May 1992) ;
Proposal for the Wirral Business Enterprise Centre (awarded 1 October 1992).
Radioactive Discharges
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he is taking to take account of the representations received by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution before the consultation period on discharges licences for the Sellafield site began ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution received approximately 38,000 representations shortly before the statutory public consultation period began on
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16 November 1992. The comments made will be taken into consideration by the authorising departments in their determination of BNFL's applications.Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many letters of objection to the application for new discharges licences for the Sellafield site have been received by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution from (a) statutory consultees, (b) local authorities and (c) individual members of the public ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution has received approximately 75,000 letters concerning this matter of which it is estimated that more than 50,000 are objecting to the proposals. Of the total received by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution there have been eight representations by statutory consultees and over 100 local authorities have written in.
Footpaths
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the procedure for extinguishing footpaths ; what simple or local appeal or arbitration procedure exists to deal with requests for diverting or extinguishing footpaths ; and what arrangements are made for the legal costs involved.
Mr. Maclean : Local authorities have powers to make orders to stop up or divert public paths. Any order made must be advertised since it affects public rights. Although some 70 per cent. of orders are confirmed locally, if there are objections which cannot be resolved, the order may be passed to the Secretary of State for confirmation, and a local inquiry may be held. We are introducing regulations to enable authorities to recoup their administrative expenses from an applicant for an order ; otherwise, parties are generally expected to meet their own costs.
Lambeth Council
Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assistance he has offered to Lambeth council to deal with matters raised by the report of the chief executive under section 5 of the Local Government Act 1988.
Mr. Robin Squire : None. The primary responsibility for the prevention and detection of fraud lies with the management of local authorities. They should have good systems of internal control and effective internal audit. The auditor has the responsibility of checking the financial control systems of a local authority.
Sellafield
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many submissions were received by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution on 25 January, in response to British Nuclear Fuel's application for authorisation for the new thermal oxide reprocessing plant, and associated facilities, at Sellafield ; how many of these submissions were in support of BNFL applications ; and what proportion of the total submissions came from abroad.
Mr. Maclean : On 25 January, HMIP received some 16,000 representations, the majority of which appear to support the proposals, but at present HMIP does not have a detailed breakdown of these figures.
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Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what account his decision on the authorisation for the licensing of the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield will make of the letter sent to him in October by the chairman of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee on the British Nuclear Fuels plc proposals to implement a curie equivalence substitution plan for the management of nuclear waste arising from reprocessing of foreign spent fuel at Sellafield.
Mr. Maclean : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 27 January, at column 769 .
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) of 30 October 1992, Official Report, column 859, if he has yet received the report of the nuclear waste borehole public inquiry in Cumbria.
Mr. Baldry : There will be no report to the Secretary of State in this case. The planning appeals concerned will be decided by an inspector. That is a matter for the Planning Inspectorate Executive Agency, and I have arranged for the chief executive to reply. Letter from Mr. H. S. Crow to Mr. Llew Smith, dated 1 February 1992 :
The Secretary of State has asked me to provide the reply to your Parliamentary Question about the nuclear waste borehole inquiry in Cumbria, as this is a matter for the Planning Inspectorate Executive Agency.
The planning appeals by British Nuclear Fuels, relating to proposed exploratory boreholes near Gosforth, are to be decided by the Inspector who held the inquiry, as arranged, in November. The Inspector, Mr. P. Burden (who was appointed following the illness of the Inspector originally appointed, Mr. P. Rosser), is concluding his consideration of the case, and I expect his decision to be issued shortly.
Housing Associations
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what consideration he has given to the ability of people in low-paid employment to meet the level of rents for housing association properties implied by the proposed reduction in housing association grants by 1995-96 ;
(2) if he will undertake a full assessment of the consequences of the proposed reduction in housing allocation grant rate to 55 per cent. on the financial viability and viability of the housing association movement and the ability of individual housing associations to attract private funding.
Mr. Baldry : No decision on grant rates for 1995-96 has been taken yet. That decision will be taken in the light of a full consideration of a number of factors, including the likely impact on rents and the ability of housing associations to attract private finance.
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to preserve and sustain the current scale and diversity of the housing association movement and to ensure that the housing allocation grant funding levels set by his Department will reflect and further this objective.
Mr. Baldry : The Government's expenditure plans announced in the Chancellor's autumn statement more
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than meet the commitment in our manifesto to spend nearly £6 billion through the Housing Corporation over the three years to 1994-95. The value of diversity is certainly one of the factors which we will take into account in making decisions about future levels of housing association grant.Planning Appeals
Sir David Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning the mechanism for challenging planning appeal decisions and costs thereof ; and what proposals he has to change it.
Mr. Baldry : My right hon. and learned Friend has received no recent representations about the mechanism for challenging planning appeal decisions. Decisions on the award of costs resulting from a planning appeal may be challenged by seeking leave of the High Court for an application for judicial review. My right hon. and learned Friend has received two recent representations in favour of a simpler procedure, but has no proposals to change it.
Rural Water and Sewerage Services
Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to complete his consideration of the desirability of any changes to the legal and financial framework for the provision of rural water and sewerage services.
Mr. Maclean : We expect to complete our consideration in the course of this session.
Opencast Mining
Mr. Betts : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much land has been affected by opencast mining in the last 10 years ; how much of such land was green field and how much despoiled or derelict ; and of the despoiled or derelict land, how much was subsequently returned to useful purposes.
Mr. Baldry : This information is not held centrally. According to statistics compiled by the County Planning Officers Society's committee No. 3, however, during the last four years 6,490 hectares of land received planning permission for opencasting in England, of which 1,309 hectares was derelict. The equivalent figures for Scotland and Wales are respectively 2,525 hectares of which 563 was derelict and 635 hectares, of which 364 was derelict. The 1988 minerals survey shows that between 1982 and 1984 4,041 hectares of land granted permission for opencasting was reclaimed satisfactorily and only 39 hectares reclaimed unsatisfactorily. All permissions for opencasting carry a requirement fully to restore the land.
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