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Green Housekeeping
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will indicate the reasons why his Department's policy statement on green housekeeping implies that (a) some use of hardwoods and (b) some use of peat, may continue.
Mr. Maclean : Our policy is to specify only the use of hardwoods which come from sustainably managed sources. We do not in practice envisage making exceptions for such hardwoods, or for peat substitutes. In principle, however, they might need to be allowed for, in some possible circumstances and situations, if there were no practicable alternatives.
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will indicate the reasons why his Department's policy statement on green housekeeping regards a ceiling of 70 to 75 per cent. as the current practicable limit for the purchase of recycled paper.
Mr. Maclean : Our policy is to keep the use of non-recycled paper to a minimum but some printing processes require its use to operate effectively. The target figure of 70 to 75 per cent. use of recycled paper will be revised as appropriate to take account of developments in printing and paper technologies.
OFWAT
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what, for each of the last two years and for the current year, is the total operational cost of the Office of Water Services.
Mr. Maclean : Details of OFWAT's costs for 1991-92 and its budget for 1992-93 are contained in the director general's "Annual Report 1991", a copy of which is in the Library. The report records that in 1991-92 OFWAT's budget was £6.29 million, and for 1992-93 cretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to the answer from the Secretary of State for Health on 4 May, how much more money would be received by Greenwich council from taxpayers through central Government grant if the standard spending assessment for 1993-94 were increased by the figure indicated by the social factor information now available from the 1991 census.
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Mr. Robin Squire : My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health, Official Report, 4 May 1993, col 45 , indicated that the percentage increase in the standard spending assessment for personal social services for Greenwich, if information on social factors from the 1991 census information were to be included, would be 9.8 per cent. The equivalent increase for the total standard spending assessment would be 4.7 per cent, amounting to some £9 million. This is also broadly the amount by which the level of revenue support grant would increase. The current review of standard spending assessments will involve a number of further changes and may result in a different outcome for 1994-95 when it is completed later this year.
Environment Week
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what support his Department plans to give to Environment Week, sponsored by the Civic Trust, 22 to 31 May.
Mr. Maclean : BT environment week aims to encourage local initiatives in the voluntary sector. My Department funds a number of organisations which will participate in events during the week. I plan to open an exhibition on 21 May by the Penrith Civic Society, which will run throughout the week and to visit a rural action scheme project on 25 May.
Mobile Homes
Ms Estelle Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations have taken place between officials of his Department and selected interested organisations in respect of a mobile park home owner's charter ; and if he will take steps to ensure that any such charter reflects the interests of residents of mobile park homes as well as site owners.
Mr. Baldry : A charter was issued by the Confederation of Park Homes Industry last December. A copy of the draft charter was also sent by my Department to the chairmen of the Association of Park Home Owners and the National Association of Park Home Residents. My officials will meet both of these organisations later this month. Later they will meet COPHI. My Department has monitored the responses from residents and their associations throughout the consultation exercise and will seek to ensure that all reasonable points are met as far as possible.
British Waterways Board
Mr. David Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to privatise the British Waterways Board ; what estimate of asset proceeds he has made ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : There are no plans to privatise the British Waterways Board.
Urban Development Corporations
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the present salary and the value of other emoluments expenses and awards, including pension contributions, of the chairs of each of the urban development corporations.
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Mr. Robin Squire : The present salaries of the UDC chairmen are as follows :--
UDC |Salary (£) -------------------------------------------- Birmingham Heartlands |25,315 Black Country |25,315 Bristol |18,990 Central Manchester |18,990 Leeds |18,990 London Docklands |37,795 Merseyside |18,990 Plymouth |25,315 Sheffield |18,990 Teesside |25,315 Trafford Park |37,975 Tyne & Wear |18,990
There are no other emoluments, awards, or pension contributions. Chairmen entitled to pensions are required to contribute at the appropriate rate.
Travel and subsistence expenses are payable in accordance with rates agreed by the Department.
Homelessness
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what figures he has for the average length of stay per homeless household living in temporary accommodation before being offered permanent housing by the responsible local authority.
Mr. Baldry : The information is not available centrally and my Department has no estimates.
Halons
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to nominate candidates for essential use of halons under the Montreal protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer for continued production in 1994.
Mr. Maclean : The Government are committed to keeping extra production for "essential uses" to a minimum. In order to be considered for extra production after phaseout, applications must meet a number of strict criteria agreed by parties to the Montreal protocol at their meeting in Copenhagen last year. These criteria include that the use is essential to protect health, safety or critical to the functioning of society ; that there are no technically or economically feasible alternatives ; and that there is insufficient supply of banked or recycled material available. The Government have scrutinised all nominations made to them for continued production of halons in 1994 and consider that six uses meet all the criteria at this time. These are :
(i) the use of halon 1211 in civil aircraft cockpits and passenger cabins ;
(ii) the use of halon 1301 in the cargo compartments of civil aircraft ;
(iii) the use of halon 1301 in civil aircraft engine nacelles ; (
(iv) the use of halon 1211 on civil airport rescue and fire fighting vehicles ;
(v) the use of halon 1301 in the engine compartments of the class 92 and 373 locomotives ;
(vi) the use of halon 1301 in various applications in existing installations in the offshore oil and gas industry including control rooms, diver support areas and radio rooms.
We shall be proposing that the parties to the Montreal protocol agree that production should be allowed in 1994
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for these six uses. This is likely to involve new production of some 30 tonnes of halons for United Kingdom uses in 1994 compared with a total estimated United Kingdom consumption of some 1,500 tonnes in 1990.There are a few other uses which might fulfil some but not all of the criteria--because of the efforts of those concerned to bank and recycle halons they do not need new production in 1994. I hope that the efforts of the Halon Users' National Consortium will soon show that sufficient quantities of recycled material are available to meet all continuing needs.
We shall be considering what nominations, if any, we put forward for continued production in 1995 later this year.
Ozone Levels
Lady Olga Maitland : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest information he has on levels of stratospheric ozone over the United Kingdom.
Mr. Maclean : Measurements of stratospheric ozone made at Camborne and Lerwick during April 1993 show levels of total column ozone between 8 per cent. and 11 per cent. below the long-term April average. Although the ozone levels reman lower than the long-term average, the April values can be compared with decreases of 10 per cent. to 13 per cent. observed in March and over 20 per cent. seen in February. Individual daily measurements during April were consistently low, but were within the range of previously measured values.
The Department's stratospheric ozone review group will include the latest interpretation of the ozone measurements made during 1992-93 in their next report which is due to be published in the autumn.
Street Lighting
Mr. Burden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has for increasing the resources available to council authorities for the improvement of street lighting.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : I have been asked to reply.
It is for local authorities to decide the appropriate level of expenditure on street lighting according to their own priorities. There are no plans to specify particular amounts for this type of expenditure.
TRANSPORT
Consultants
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to ensure that the relevant local highway authorities are invited to submit proposals to undertake the work carried out by consultants on the maintenance and management of trunk roads and motorways in a form which can be compared with bids from the private sector.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : It is our policy in selecting maintenance agents to ensure that we secure maximum value for money in terms of the quality and efficiency of the services provided. In making arrangements for the replacement in due course of existing consultants' commissions we are committed to evaluating the quality
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and cost of the services available from local authorities and private sector consultants. The form and timing of this evaluation is still being considered.Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will carry out an assessment of the performance of consultants carrying out agency responsibilities for the maintenance and management of trunk roads and motorways in comparison with local authority agents ; if he will consult the local authority associations on the basis of the comparison ; and if he will publish the results.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : All consultants employed by the Department as maintenance agents are subject to performance assessment. My officials have agreed performance indicators with representatives of the local authority associations, which will facilitate comparisons of performance by different agents, and these are now being used on a trial basis to assess the 1992-93 performance of a number of agents throughout the country. Any decision on publication of the results of comparisons will be taken in consultation with the local authority associations when the results are available.
Transport Supplementary Grant
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for each local highway authority in England the percentage of its total bid for transport supplementary grant for 1993-94 included in its 1992 transport policy and programme which was accepted by the Government for grant.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The information is given in the table.
Transport supplementary grant
for local highway authorities in England
Percentage of total bid for transport
supplementary grant
for 1993-94 made in 1992 TPP submission
accepted for grant
|Per cent.
-------------------------------------------
London boroughs
City of London |51.1
Barking and Dagenham |47.4
Barnet |70.4
Bexley |86.9
Brent |42.3
Bromley |87.2
Camden |58.1
Croydon |82.1
Ealing |56.1
Enfield |58.0
Greenwich |52.7
Hackney |49.4
Hammersmith and Fulham |37.8
Haringey |52.2
Harrow |93.0
Havering |80.1
Hillingdon |81.7
Hounslow |59.9
Islington |40.3
Kensington and Chelsea |75.2
Kingston upon Thames |43.1
Lambeth |29.5
Lewisham |90.1
Merton |69.0
Newham |78.8
Redbridge |54.2
Richmond upon Thames |66.2
Southwark |92.9
Sutton |39.7
Tower Hamlets |70.0
Waltham Forest |74.4
Wandsworth |60.5
Westminster |63.2
Metropolitan Boroughs
Bolton |61.3
Bury |59.0
Manchester |72.6
Oldham |62.5
Rochdale |70.1
Salford |21.5
Stockport |71.7
Tameside |57.5
Trafford |73.9
Wigan |39.4
Knowsley |95.1
Liverpool |66.0
St. Helens |57.8
Sefton |54.4
Wirral |78.0
Barnsley |76.7
Doncaster |64.8
Rotherham |68.7
Sheffield |85.8
Gateshead |54.7
Newcastle upon Tyne |67.5
North Tyneside |40.9
South Tyneside |69.7
Sunderland |50.7
Birmingham |83.3
Coventry |90.6
Dudley |65.9
Sandwell |40.6
Solihull |88.4
Walsall |90.0
Wolverhampton |76.4
Bradford |56.7
Calderdale |38.8
Kirklees |78.6
Leeds |61.4
Wakefield |58.7
Shire Counties
Avon |71.6
Bedfordshire |46.9
Berkshire |41.5
Buckinghamshire |65.6
Cambridgeshire |39.7
Cheshire |76.9
Cleveland |79.3
Cornwall |68.6
Cumbria |56.5
Derbyshire |82.1
Devon |52.4
Dorset |58.0
Durham |78.4
East Sussex |43.6
Essex |65.0
Gloucestershire |65.7
Hampshire |82.9
Hereford and Worcester |46.6
Hertfordshire |82.6
Humberside |84.5
Isle of Wight |71.6
Kent |72.9
Lancashire |53.1
Leicestershire |51.0
Lincolnshire |53.8
Norfolk |42.1
Northamptonshire |52.0
Northumberland |81.0
North Yorkshire |76.4
Nottinghamshire |68.9
Oxfordshire |67.5
Shropshire |41.1
Somerset |84.6
Staffordshire |57.7
Suffolk |36.3
Surrey |64.6
Warwickshire |49.2
West Sussex |58.5
Wiltshire |51.8
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for each local highway authority in England the percentage of its bids for 1993-94 made in its 1992 transport policy and programme submission accepted for transport supplementary grant for (a) major road
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schemes, (b) minor works on local safety schemes, (c) structural maintenance on roads, (d) bus priority measures and (e) structural maintenance on bridges.Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : All available information on transport supplementary grant for the categories listed is given in the table. It is not possible to give figures for bus priority measures. Most bids for such schemes under the transport supplementary grant system are included as part of "other minor works". Allocations under that category are not given for specific types of scheme. The answer to the related question on bus priority measures indicates total credit approvals issued to local authorities for that purpose.
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Percentage of 1992 TPP bids accepted for transport supplementary grant for 1993-94
Authority |Major road schemes |Minor works on local|Structural |Assessment,
|safety schemes |maintenance on |strengthening and
|principal roads |other structural
|maintenance of
|bridges
|Per cent. |Per cent. |Per cent. |Per cent.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
City of London |0.0 |48.1 |No bid |88.8
Barking and Dagenham |22.7 |80.6 |80.9 |82.3
Barnet |No bid |56.3 |70.0 |96.3
Bexley |91.6 |72.1 |68.0 |90.0
Brent |0.0 |42.4 |70.0 |62.3
Bromley |94.6 |91.8 |70.0 |69.0
Camden |No bid |51.6 |73.7 |62.4
Croydon |100.0 |58.3 |69.9 |69.8
Ealing |100.0 |54.7 |70.0 |99.2
Enfield |53.8 |90.5 |69.9 |62.4
Greenwich |0.0 |59.5 |69.8 |87.7
Hackney |100.0 |44.9 |20.2 |90.2
Hammersmith and Fulham |No bid |18.7 |70.0 |69.2
Haringey |28.5 |73.0 |89.6 |86.3
Harrow |93.3 |92.0 |No bid |90.0
Havering |No bid |46.5 |69.8 |84.4
Hillingdon |99.5 |41.8 |70.8 |69.2
Hounslow |84.7 |17.4 |69.6 |87.1
Islington |No bid |20.0 |69.5 |88.4
Kensington and Chelsea |100.0 |57.1 |No bid |90.0
Kingston upon Thames |56.5 |51.6 |60.9 |70.2
Lambeth |No bid |50.8 |23.7 |18.4
Lewisham |100.0 |77.5 |23.8 |61.3
Merton |64.1 |84.8 |70.0 |62.5
Newham |79.9 |37.2 |70.0 |97.9
Redbridge |No bid |51.4 |70.1 |62.5
Richmond upon Thames |No bid |55.0 |51.9 |96.6
Southwark |100.0 |41.4 |No bid |71.4
Sutton |26.3 |54.2 |43.1 |80.0
Tower Hamlets |0.0 |13.3 |93.5 |63.7
Waltham Forest |95.0 |39.6 |70.3 |66.7
Wandsworth |31.1 |62.0 |50.3 |88.1
Westminster |49.3 |78.4 |70.1 |63.5
Bolton |83.4 |51.4 |88.3 |50.8
Bury |0.0 |83.6 |70.0 |95.0
Manchester |71.4 |70.5 |70.0 |87.1
Oldham |76.3 |57.2 |77.9 |80.3
Rochdale |No bid |88.0 |63.0 |92.3
Salford |0.6 |64.7 |70.5 |93.9
Stockport |100.0 |56.4 |63.6 |91.0
Tameside |58.8 |81.3 |69.6 |62.3
Trafford |81.5 |63.1 |69.2 |96.3
Wigan |25.6 |31.3 |63.9 |76.8
Knowsley |99.3 |62.8 |90.5 |83.2
Liverpool |69.4 |32.0 |100.0 |85.4
St. Helens |56.4 |100.0 |70.5 |76.8
Sefton |0.0 |83.5 |70.5 |77.2
Wirral |100.0 |81.4 |70.6 |90.3
Barnsley |87.9 |56.5 |70.6 |83.0
Doncaster |56.1 |56.8 |79.3 |94.9
Rotherham |76.8 |18.5 |84.6 |77.3
Sheffield |100.0 |57.1 |83.2 |90.7
Gateshead |78.7 |62.9 |100.0 |75.2
Newcastle upon Tyne |91.3 |52.0 |41.1 |68.3
North Tyneside |0.0 |11.1 |70.0 |55.9
South Tyneside |96.5 |61.8 |70.1 |55.4
Sunderland |50.7 |31.5 |77.2 |64.0
Birmingham |90.4 |66.3 |73.2 |70.6
Coventry |97.1 |64.2 |69.9 |85.2
Dudley |70.0 |49.2 |70.0 |50.1
Sandwell |0.0 |27.4 |69.7 |77.2
Solihull |97.4 |71.0 |75.0 |71.9
Walsall |98.0 |57.1 |70.0 |58.2
Wolverhampton |89.2 |62.3 |70.4 |59.4
Bradford |51.9 |39.4 |70.0 |63.0
Calderdale |0.0 |65.3 |74.4 |69.9
Kirklees |95.3 |69.9 |86.9 |62.4
Leeds |68.2 |42.9 |73.1 |89.8
Wakefield |0.0 |46.5 |66.6 |88.8
Avon |77.5 |36.7 |66.0 |87.5
Bedfordshire |10.8 |27.8 |100.0 |94.2
Berkshire |37.7 |30.6 |64.7 |77.7
Buckinghamshire |38.4 |88.5 |79.8 |79.5
Cambridgeshire |19.4 |38.0 |72.7 |69.0
Cheshire |79.1 |82.7 |70.9 |93.0
Cleveland |92.2 |55.8 |78.1 |88.8
Cornwall |75.6 |49.0 |70.0 |75.3
Cumbria |64.6 |91.1 |70.0 |60.9
Derbyshire |100.0 |30.0 |69.9 |83.4
Devon |43.7 |60.9 |62.1 |71.5
Dorset |53.9 |54.6 |64.8 |77.3
Durham |97.6 |54.0 |55.2 |75.0
East Sussex |36.0 |68.2 |61.8 |91.5
Essex |62.3 |56.3 |71.8 |66.7
Gloucestershire |72.3 |28.2 |74.9 |87.2
Hampshire |88.8 |65.6 |65.4 |57.4
Hereford and Worcester |32.7 |29.0 |70.0 |66.4
Hertfordshire |91.8 |52.0 |70.0 |82.1
Humberside |95.5 |69.4 |73.9 |81.7
Isle of Wight |No bid |88.0 |80.0 |62.3
Kent |84.0 |15.7 |64.5 |77.3
Lancashire |47.7 |64.8 |67.6 |69.4
Leicestershire |57.7 |45.3 |78.0 |73.2
Lincolnshire |38.8 |16.1 |87.6 |76.1
Norfolk |22.6 |26.8 |65.1 |85.1
Northamptonshire |40.6 |40.0 |68.2 |73.6
Northumberland |88.8 |61.3 |73.7 |87.0
North Yorkshire |79.4 |54.9 |70.0 |78.0
Nottinghamshire |71.2 |73.7 |66.1 |72.9
Oxfordshire |100.0 |10.1 |84.4 |85.1
Shropshire |17.2 |56.7 |70.0 |76.8
Somerset |94.1 |54.5 |66.2 |80.6
Staffordshire |54.1 |68.5 |75.8 |87.6
Suffolk |3.8 |70.4 |64.0 |72.4
Surrey |74.5 |27.0 |54.5 |76.0
Warwickshire |29.5 |32.2 |70.0 |71.2
West Sussex |83.1 |26.5 |61.8 |95.9
Wiltshire |46.8 |51.7 |58.5 |86.0
Bus Priority Measures
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for each local highway authority in England the bids for 1993-94 made in its 1992 transport policy and programme for grant or credit approval for bus priority measures and the grant or borrowing consent awarded in each of those areas.
Mr. Freeman : The information requested is shown in the table. Details of the proportion of their transport supplementary grant allocation that local authorities allocate to bus priority measures are not available.
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Bus Priority Measures 1993-94
£ thousands
|TPP bids |Supplementary Credit
|Approvals allocated
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shire counties
Avon |2,207 |1,525
Bedfordshire |200 |0
Berkshire |2,305 |200
Cambridgeshire |195 |120
Cheshire |650 |<1>625
Cleveland |1,875 |600
Cumbria |25 |0
Derbyshire |123 |0
Devon |445 |250
Durham |300 |50
East Sussex |1,100 |125
Essex |226 |130
Gloucestershire |448 |70
Hampshire |300 |170
Humberside |130 |0
Isle of Wight |50 |0
Kent |1,577 |500
Lancashire |807 |580
Leicestershire |775 |0
Norfolk |3,152 |3,000
North Yorkshire |20 |0
Northamptonshire |250 |100
Nottinghamshire |1,634 |175
Oxfordshire |675 |50
Shropshire |343 |50
Staffordshire |100 |0
Suffolk |2,438 |100
Surrey |1,029 |240
West Sussex |1,000 |0
Wiltshire |664 |140
|------- |-------
Total Shires |25,043 |8,800
Metropolitan districts
Barnsley |115 |0
Birmingham |500 |400
Bolton |100 |0
Bradford |1,668 |0
Bury |50 |40
Coventry |353 |250
Doncaster |60 |50
Dudley |200 |75
Gateshead |773 |75
Kirklees |140 |0
Knowsley |450 |250
Leeds |1,199 |450
Liverpool |400 |300
Manchester |1,330 |750
Newcastle |100 |100
Oldham |62 |40
Rochdale |15 |0
St. Helens |40 |0
Salford |125 |75
Sheffield |1,675 |200
Solihull |50 |50
Stockport |130 |30
Sunderland |10 |0
Tameside |57 |0
Trafford |20 |10
Wakefield |86 |0
Walsall |100 |0
Wigan |25 |0
Wirral |380 |30
|------- |-------
Total Districts |10,213 |3,175
London boroughs
Camden |100 |50
Ealing |1,294 |548
Hammersmith |1,474 |600
Haringey |825 |75
Hillingdon |777 |752
Hounslow |1,192 |250
Kensington |175 |50
Lambeth |401 |124
Lewisham |100 |0
Newham |106 |106
Richmond |45 |45
Sutton |200 |0
Tower Hamlets |600 |600
Waltham Forest |150 |0
Wandsworth |100 |100
|------- |-------
Total London |7,539 |3,300
|------- |-------
Totals |42,795 |15,275
<1> Part SCA and part Transport Supplementary Grant.
Authorities which did not bid are not listed.
Cycles (Warning Devices)
Mr. Roger Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the requirements for pedal cycles to carry audible warning devices such as bells ; if he will review the present requirements ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Pedal cycles are not required at present to be fitted with audible warning devices such as bells. We are currently considering updating the Pedal Bicycles (Safety) Regulations and the Pedal Cycles (Construction and Use) Regulations with a view to incorporating into them the latest British standard on the construction of pedal cycles. We shall be taking the opportunity at the same time to review the position on the compulsory fitting and use of bells.
London Regional Transport
Mr. David Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to privatise London Regional Transport ; what estimate of asset proceeds he has made ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris : Plans for the privatisation of the London Buses Ltd. subsidiaries are well under way. However, I have no plans at present to privatise the remaining parts of London Regional Transport and have therefore made no estimate of the potential sale proceeds.
River Safety
Mr. Illsley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has undertaken since July 1992 into improving safety and rescue standards on rivers and inland waters ; and what methods were used in such research as recommended by the Hayes report on river safety.
Mr. Norris : Research carried out since July 1992 includes projects dealing with the safety of control systems on high speed craft, damage and impact stability of high-speed passenger craft, and the applicability of safety assessment techniques to passenger vessels.
Mr. Illsley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to publish an account of progress in the implementation of recommendations made after major disasters recommended in the Hayes report on river safety.
Mr. Norris : A summary of progress on the implementation of the Hayes report recommendations will be published next month. Progress on the recommendations of the Hidden report was described in the answer of my hon. Friend the Minister for Public Transport on 12 November 1992, column 964.
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I reported progress on the Fennel report on 7 December, column 464.Marine Safety Committees
Mr. Illsley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 7 July 1992, Official Report, column 102, if he will list the titles of all the district marine safety committees and their sub- committees that have been established ; and if he would further state for each such committee and sub-committee (a) its composition, (b) its terms of reference and (c) the dates on which it has met.
Mr. Norris : I will write to the hon. Member with this information.
Private Aircraft
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what records are kept of flights made by private aircraft from United Kingdom airports and airfields ; what requirements exist on pilots to register proposed flight paths and names and numbers of passengers ; and in what respects these requirements and records are different for flights going overseas from internal flights.
Mr. Norris : Civil aviation legislation does not formally require official records of flights made by private aircraft to be kept by airports. However, most airports or airfields do maintain logbooks. In addition, under the terms of article 23 of the Air Navigation Order 1989 any member of the flight crew of an aircraft is required to maintain personal flying logbooks, in which they are required to record a variety of information, including the date and the places at which the crew member embarked on and disembarked from the aircraft at the end of each flight.
Under the rules of the air the commander of an aircraft arriving at or departing from an aerodrome in the United Kingdom shall take all reasonable steps to ensure upon landing or prior to departure, as the case may be, that notice of that event is given to the person in charge of the aerodrome, or to the air traffic control unit or aerodrome flight information unit at the aerodrome. This is known as booking-in or out, but names of passengers are not included. He is also required to file a flight plan for air traffic control purposes when the aircraft is expected to fly in controlled airspace under instrument flight rules.
When intending to cross an international flight information region boundary all aircraft pilots are required to file a flight plan and provide information identifying the type of the aircraft, the destination and the number of individuals on board the aircraft. A flight plan is also required if the total weight of the aircraft exceeds 5,700 kg and its intended destination is more than 40 km from the point of departure. This information is required primarily for potential search and rescue purposes and again the names of the passengers are not included.
Twyford Down (Private Detectives)
Mr. Denham : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, (1) pursuant to his answer of 25 February, Official Report, columns 699-700, what is the total sum of moneys paid to Brays Detective Agency (Southampton) Ltd. by his Department since February 1992 ;
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(2) pursuant to his answer of 12 March, Official Report, column 772, on how many people papers have been served by Brays Detective Agency in connection with Twyford Down.Mr. Kenneth Carlisle [holding answers 10 May 1993] : As at end April, Bray's Detective Agency (Southampton) had been paid approximately £35,000. Following my answer of 12 March, Official Report, column 772, the agency had served papers on an additional three individuals.
A30
Mr. Tyler : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to be able to publish the detailed design and construction timetable for the new separated junction at Kennards house on the A30 near Launceston.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle [holding answer 10 May 1993] : We are making good progress with the initial preparation of this scheme and aim to consult the public on our proposals during the summer.
Progress thereafter will depend on public reaction to our consultation proposals and to the subsequent statutory orders.
Marine Accident Investigation Branch
Mr. Jamieson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in what circumstances he is able to order an MAIB inquiry under section 33(7) of the Merchant Shipping Act 1988.
Mr. Norris [holding answer 10 May 1993] : The Merchant Shipping Act 1988 does not provide any limitation on the functions that may be conferred on the chief inspector of marine accidents, or other inspectors, in addition to the basic functions of investigating casualties to ships, or other incidents involving ships. However, such action would be taken only where it is considered appropriate and after careful consideration had been given to all the prevailing circumstances. Such consideration would include taking into account investigations either planned or in progress by other competent authorities or administrations.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
EC Research Ministers
Mr. Patrick Thompson : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the meeting of European research Ministers on 29 April.
Mr. Waldegrave : A policy debate was held on the fourth EC research and development framework programme, on the basis of next Council of Ministers on 30 June. Conclusions were also agreed on space, which underlined the need for closer links between the EC and the European Space Agency.
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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Mr. A. Nadir
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps have been taken to apply to the Turkish authorities for Mr. A. Nadir to be placed under British jurisdiction ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Garel-Jones : We have an extradition treaty with the Republic of Cyprus, but the writ of the Government does not run in the north of the island.
Immediately after Nadir's abscondment, our High Commissioner in Nicosia met Turkish Cypriot leader Mr. Denktash on 5 May to demand that Nadir be handed over to the British authorities.
On 7 May I summoned the Turkish ambassador to explain the anger felt in this country and ask for Turkish assistance in ensuring Nadir's return.
The Turkish Cypriots should appreciate the damage it could do to their interests if they were to acquire a reputation as a refuge for fugitives from justice.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Aid Projects
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what current United Kingdom Government financial aid projects for Kenya are due for renewal funding during this year ; and if a decision will be made on this issue.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Decisions on a number of development projects will be required during the course of the year ; these will be reached at the appropriate time taking account of all relevant factors.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Mr. Khabra : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the United Kingdom Government have to increase the aid to sub-Saharan Africa ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) on 10 February, at column 665.
Narmada Dam, India
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on future funding of the Narmada dam project in India (a) bilaterally and (b) through the World bank.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The Government of India asked the World bank to cancel the outstanding balance, some $170 million, of the bank's loan for the Sardar Sarovar dam project in the Narmada valley, India. Various studies agreed between the Government of India and the World bank, initiated prior to the cancellation of the loan and financed with United Kingdom grants, will be completed.
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Africa
Mr. Khabra : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the World bank to redesign the operation of its structural adjustment programmes in Africa ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We and other aid donors are involved in a continuing dialogue with World bank staff, both in the board and informally, and with representatives of developing countries, about the approach to be taken to structural adjustment. All parties agree that the essential aim is sustainable, broad-based development. The approach taken continues to evolve in the light of experience.
HEALTH
Extra-contractual Referrals
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will consider holding centrally information on health authorities which place limitations on extra-contractual referrals.
Dr. Mawhinney : No. The management of the extra-contractual referral process is the responsibility of district health authorities as agreed with regional health authorities. The majority of ECR requests are approved, as the grounds on which an ECR can be refused are very limited and purchasers are expected to respect the referring clinician's judgment. It would not be appropriate to collect this information centrally.
NHS (Equal Opportunities)
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will require national health service trusts and health authorities to carry out equal opportunities monitoring of job applications and to publish the results.
Dr. Mawhinney : National health service trusts and health authorities are expected to have an equal opportunities policy, together with mechanisms for monitoring its implementation. They are specifically expected, by the end of 1994, to monitor applicants for medical interviews on the basis of race, gender and speciality. They are also expected to monitor the selection and interview processes for nurse managers as part of "Opportunity 2000".
In addition, we have set up a working group on ethnic minority employment in the NHS which will consider, among other issues, advice on good practice in recruitment and selection.
AZT
Mr. Galloway : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many yellow card reports of adverse reactions to AZT have been made by doctors dispensing and prescribing the drug.
Dr. Mawhinney : Eighty-three. A report of a suspected reaction in association with a drug does not necessarily mean that the drug caused the effect reported.
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