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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 24 June 1993
NATIONAL FINANCE
Home Relocation
Mr. Simon Coombs : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his policy on the tax treatment of bridging loan finance costs incurred during home relocation.
Mr. Dorrell : The Government's policy is that the tax treatment of bridging loan finance costs incurred during home relocation should be subject to the usual tax rules, as well as those in clause 76 and schedule 5 of the current Finance (No. 2) Bill.
Mr. Simon Coombs : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his policy on the tax treatment of capital depreciation costs incurred during home relocation where either an employer or a relocation company purchases the employee's property at its current market value.
Mr. Dorrell : The Government's policy on capital depreciation costs on relocation, which are assumed to be loss on sale payments under guarantee sale price schemes, is that they should not qualify for tax relief under the new relief for relocation costs in clause 76 and schedule 5 of the current Finance (No. 2) Bill.
Private Security Firms
Mr. Callaghan : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the names of the private security firms currently employed by his Department, the number of employees for each firm on the contract, the total value of each contract and the total value for each financial year since 1987.
Mr. Nelson : Forward : Civil Service Catering is the only part of the Treasury currently employing private security firms. Individual contracts are arranged at local level. During 1992-93, three security firms were employed by Forward at a total cost of £122,000. Details for the current year and for earlier years are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
NATIONAL HERITAGE
Correspondence
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when he expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Nottingham, North of 29 April regarding the business sponsorship incentive scheme for sport.
Mr. Sproat : I can find no trace of the hon. Member's letter of 29 April ever having been received within my Department. Now that the hon. Member has sent my office a copy of the letter, I shall ensure that a reply is sent to him without delay.
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ITV
Sir David Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will make a statement following his meeting with ITV company chairmen on whether large ITV companies will be permitted to merge with each other.
Mr. Brooke : The meeting was helpful. I am reflecting on the various views put to me.
Boxing
Mr. Callaghan : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when he received a copy of the British Medical Association's report into the risks associated with boxing ; and if he proposes to set up an independent inquiry into these risks.
Mr. Brooke : My Department obtained a copy of the report upon its publication. I do not believe that the risks associated with boxing are sufficient to justify an inquiry.
Farm Buildings
Dr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if it is possible to abstract from the listing of historic buildings farm houses and outbuildings which are no longer occupied or no longer serve an agricultural purpose.
Mr. Brooke : No. The statutory lists do not contain this information.
Press Regulation
Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when he will publish his proposals on the regulation of the press.
Mr. Brooke : The Government will set out their proposals on press regulation in their response to the report of the National Heritage Select Committee on privacy and media intrusion. We hope to publish this before the summer recess.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Royal Family
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answers of 7 June, Official Report, columns 82-83, and of 16 June, Official Report, column 645 , on which of the visits by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh the Royal Yacht and the Queen's Flight were used ; and to what extent.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Aircraft of the Queen's flight were used for travel from the United Kingdom in the case of each of the visits listed. In the case of the visit to Malta, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh embarked on the royal yacht in Palermo, Italy, and continued to use it throughout the visit. In the case of the visit to France, the royal yacht was used while the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were in Bordeaux. In the case of the Duke of Edinburgh's visit to the Caribbean, the royal yacht was used throughout the visit.
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his
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answer of 16 June, Official Report, column 645, into what categories his Department divides the expenditure on visits by members of the royal family.Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Expenditure by the Department in support of official overseas visits undertaken by members of the royal family falls into the following categories :
(a) travel
(b) hotel expenses
(c) official presents and donations
(d) salaries--additional staff
(e) bank, postal, telephone and telegraph charges
(f) miscellaneous (insurance, reconnaissance visits partly for security purposes, and so on)
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answers of 7 June, Official Report , columns 82-83 , and of 16 June, Official Report, column 645 , whether clothing formed part of the costs incurred by Government Departments in respect of visits by members of the royal family.
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answers of 7 June, Official Report, columns 82-83 and of 16 June, Official Report, column 645 , which costs of the visits made by members of the royal family were met by other Government Departments ; and if he will list the Departments.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : With the exception of visits by the Duke of Kent, no costs of overseas official visits undertaken by members of the royal family during the financial year 1992-93 were met by other Government Departments except for the costs of the royal yacht, the Queen's flight and other RAF aircraft, which were met by the Ministry of Defence. The costs of the visits by the Duke of Kent to Japan and Germany as vice-chairman of the British Overseas Trade Board were met by the Department of Trade and Industry.
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 7 June, Official Report , columns 82-83 , what was the cost to his Department of each of the visits taken by (a) the Prince and Princess of Wales, (b) Prince Edward, (c) the Princess Royal, (d) Princess Margaret, (e) the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, (f) the Duke of Kent and (g) Princess Alexandra ; on which of these visits the Queen's Flight was used ; which Department bore the international travel costs ; and what was the involvement of the Royal Yacht.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The information is as follows.
The cost to the Department of the overseas visits undertaken by the members of the Royal Family as listed is as follows :
Country |Date |Cost
|£
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Prince and Princess of Wales
Egypt |10-15 May |26,600
Korea | 2-5 November |57,600
Hong Kong | 5-7 November |12,700
France |13-15 November |2,400
France |17-19 November |1,400
United States of America and
Mexico |12-18 February |22,600
Nepal | 2-6 March
The Prince Edward
British Indian Ocean Territory,
Brunei, Western Samoa | 2-18 October |27,000
The Princess Royal
Norway, Sweden, Finland |11-19 May |9,400
India |10-15 September
The Princess Margaret
The Netherlands |23-25 June |3,900
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester
Belgium |12-13 October |4,700
The Duke of Kent
Japan |14-23 May |Nil
Italy |30 June-1 July |6,700
Germany |9-10 November |Nil
Princess Alexandra
United States of America |22-25 April |23,000
Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada |30 October-
| 7 November |35,200
All these visits involved use of the Queen's flight/RAF aircraft and scheduled flights, except for that by the Duke of Kent to Italy, which involved only the former. The costs of the Queen's flight and other RAF aircraft are met by the Ministry of Defence. The costs of scheduled flights are met by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The royal yacht was used during the visit to Mexico by the Prince of Wales.
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 7 June, Official Report, columns 82-83, if he will list the official engagements on each visit by (a) the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, (b) the Prince and Princess of Wales, (c) Prince Edward and (d) the Princess Royal.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : I shall write to the right hon. Gentleman with details.
Somalia
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence he has as to the extent and source of continuing supplies of weapons to Somalia.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : An arms embargo was imposed on Somalia in January 1992 by the United Nations. We have received no reports of any violation of the embargo, but large amounts of arms undoubtedly remain in Somalia from the former regime.
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment the United Nations has made as to the extent of the systematic use of rape as a weapon during the disturbances in Somalia ; and what is being done to bring the offenders to justice.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : There are no reports of the systematic use of rape as a weapon in the current disturbances.
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has
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been made in Somalia on an area-by-area basis to reconstruct a civil society ; and who is responsible for such work.Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Reconstruction of a civil society is ultimately the responsibility of the Somalis themselves. As a part of this process district councils are being established in several areas with the support of UNOSOM II. Clan elders are also playing a constructive role in the process.
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what disciplinary action has been taken following review of the performance of the United Nations or its associated organisations in Somalia.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The Secretary-General has announced an investigation into the tragic shooting of Somali demonstrators by United Nations peacekeeping forces. The investigation has yet to be completed.
United States of America
Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has further to improve diplomatic relations between the United States of America and the United Kingdom.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Diplomatic relations with the United States are in excellent shape. I am pleased to say that we and the United States Administration remain in the closest contact.
PRIME MINISTER
Sustainable Development
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 17 June, Official Report, column 686, if he will give further details of the OECD meeting in Paris to which the report on sustainable development was presented.
The Prime Minister : The United Kingdom progress report to the United Nations Commission for Sustainable Development was made available to delegates attending the third meeting of the environment policy committee of the OECD held in Paris on 9 to 11 June. This was one of a regular series of meetings which enables Governments of industrialised countries to exchange views on issues of environmental policy. On this occasion the agenda included a review of the follow-up to last year's Earth summit. The committee will next meet in December.
Engagements
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 24 June.
Sir Peter Tapsell : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 24 June.
The Prime Minister : This morning, I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.
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Irish Republic (President)
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Prime Minister on what dates since taking office the President of the Irish Republic made visits to Northern Ireland for which facilities were made available by Her Majesty's Government ; which of those visits were (a) private and (b) official ; what period of notice was given to Her Majesty's Government for each private visit ; when invitations were issued by Her Majesty's Government in respect of official visits ; what arrangements were made for Her Majesty's Government (i) to be informed of and (ii) to approve the itinerary of each visit ; and if he will make a statement.
Prime Minister [holding answer 22 June 1993] : President Robinson has made private visits to Northern Ireland on 16 December 1990, 2 February 1992, 22 May 1992, 6 and 7 September 1992 and 18 and 19 June 1993. The usual courtesies for a visiting Head of State have been extended to the President on each occasion and Northern Ireland Office officials have been present at all venues, apart from Whiterock college of education on 18 June 1993. The period of notice given for the visits was three days, two months, 10 days, 10 days and three weeks respectively, but, in respect of the latest visit, particulars of those participating in the West Belfast item, and of its venue, were made known only three days before the visit. No invitations have been extended by Her Majesty's Government apart from that to a reception given by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 2 February 1992. For each visit, Irish Government officials informed HMG of the proposed itinerary, which does not require HMG's approval.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
School Milk
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations she had made to the European Commission concerning future funding arrangements for the EC school milk scheme.
Mr. Jack : The Commission has not yet presented its detailed proposals for expenditure under the school milk scheme in 1994. When it does, our position on the matter will be determined by a thorough examination of the provisions contained therein.
Equine Disease
Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent additional precautions have been taken to protect against the importation into the United Kingdom of horses infected with equine viral arteritis from third countries.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The state veterinary service will increase the level of post-import testing of stallions imported from third countries. All those giving seropositive results will be re-exported to their country of origin.
Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment she has made of compliance with the procedures governing the import of equidae from Poland over the last two years.
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Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The compliance with either Community or, in their absence, national rules in respect of the import of live animals from third countries is kept under continuous review. Since June 1991 a small number of horses has been re-exported to Poland following seropositive test results for EVA. The matter was taken up with the Polish veterinary authorities which were reminded of our import requirements.
Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what evidence her Department has as to the number of occasions over the last five years on which measures designed to protect the United Kingdom from the importation of equine viral arteritis have not been complied with.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The Department has evidence of 10 occasions during the last five years when measures designed to prevent the introduction of equine viral arteritis have not been compiled with.
Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make a statement on the protection offered under article 20(2) of EC directive 90/426/EEC in respect of equidae imported into the United Kingdom, in circumstances where it is known that a third country has failed to comply fully with the conditions set out in the directive.
Mr. Gillian Shephard : Article 20 of directive 90/426/EEC was revoked by directive 91/496/EEC laying down the principles governing the organisation of veterinary checks on animals entering the Community from third countries. The latter permits member states to require, as appropriate, the detention in quarantine or isolation, or the slaughter or re-export of any animal which is found to be diseased or suspected of being diseased, or which does not fully meet the import requirements laid down in Community or national import rules ; or where it is established that the exporting third country has not complied with the requirements provided for in Community or national rules.
Farm and Conservation Grant Scheme
Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will provide a breakdown of expenditure under the farm and conservation grant scheme in cash and real terms, for each financial year since the inception of the scheme in 1989.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The breakdown requested is shown in the table.
<
Grant paid under the F&CGS 1989-93 in England and Wales
Financial year |Cash £'000s |(Real Terms)
|£'000s<1>
------------------------------------------------------------
1989-90 |6,663 |6,663
1990-91 |26,732 |24,385
1991-92 |35,713 |31,089
1992-93 |32,618 |27,535
<1> Calculated using the Retail Price Index taking 1989-90
as the base year.
Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for what purpose the farm and conservation grant scheme was established.
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Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The farm and conservation grant scheme is designed to help farmers maintain efficient farming systems while also meeting the often heavy cost of combating pollution and conserving the countryside and its wildlife. The scheme focuses on those investments which cut costs by updating existing resources and on those which help to achieve good countryside management. A special priority of the scheme is to help farmers install and improve waste handling facilities in order to meet their obligations to minimise pollution risks.
Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what reasons account for the decision to allow farmers under 40 years of age to qualify for an additional allowance under the farm and conservation grant scheme ; and what is the amount of the additional allowance.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The extra grant for young farmers--those under 40--implements a provision of EC regulation 2328/91 on agricultural structures. An additional 25 per cent. of the normal rates of grant is payable to young farmers on first improvement plans under the farm and conservation grant scheme.
Dr. Strang : To ask the Minster of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if access to the farm and conservation grant is conditional on the applicant fulfilling any residential qualifications.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : So that grant is paid only to viable businesses, the farm and conservation grant scheme requires that a farm business for which grant is sought must have been operational for at least a year. In addition, farmers situated in less-favoured areas are eligible for grant aid on the regeneration of grassland using lime and/or fertiliser and for enhanced rates of grant for some other investments. Otherwise, there are no conditions relating to residence.
Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the farm and conservation grant for repairs and reinstatement of farm buildings encompasses farm houses and outbuildings which have been unoccupied for a six-month or longer period, but which are to be brought back into agricultural use.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : It is a condition of the grants available under the farm and conservation grant scheme for the repair or refurbishment of traditional farm buildings that the building for which grant is sought must be in current agricultural use and have been in use during the 12 months prior to the application being received. However, no grant aid is available for the restoration of dwellings on farms.
Milk Quotas
Mr. Stern : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans the Government have for the administration of milk quotas under the new milk marketing arrangements provided for in the Agriculture Bill [Lords].
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Much of the day-to-day administration of milk quotas is currently carried out by the milk marketing boards. It would be wrong for this work to be passed on to the boards' successor bodies since it would give them access to commercially sensitive
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information about the operations of their competitors. The Government intend, therefore, that from the beginning of the next quota year on 1 April 1994 the Intervention Board executive agency should assume overall responsibility for the administration of milk quotas in the United Kingdom, including those functions currently carried out by the milk marketing boards. A further announcement will be made when detailed arrangements have been finalised.As well as transferring responsibility for the administration of milk quotas to an independent agency, we are also considering whether any other changes are necessary in the operation of the quota system to ensure that it does not tilt the playing field to anyone's advantage. We are looking in particular at the arrangements for leasing quota between producers and we will be consulting the industry on this and other issues before deciding what amendments to make to the quota regulations.
Livestock Imports (Poland)
Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what import precautions were in force in respect of the import of horses and farmed livestock before September 1992 ; and what additional precautions were in force in respect of such imports from Poland.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Imports of horses and farmed livestock were subject to harmonised Community or, in their absence, national rules. Such import conditions differed according to species and the animal health status of the country of origin. Among other things, such conditions included pre-export or post-import testing and isolation, as appropriate, and, in all cases, that consignments were accompanied by a health certificate signed by an official veterinarian of the exporting country confirming that the animals fully complied with our import requirements.
From 1 July 1992 imports of live animals were also subject to veterinary checks in accordance with the provisions of Council directives 90/425/EEC and 91/496/EEC. In view of the safeguards provided, it was not considered to be necessary to take any special precautions in relation to such imports from Poland.
ENVIRONMENT
THORP
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Wallace) of 11 June, Official Report, column 357, if he will place in the Library (a) copies of the communications from the Swedish and Danish Environment Ministers on THORP and (b) copies of the information on the Paris Commission.
Mr. Yeo : It is not normal practice to place in the Library of the House confidential correspondence with foreign Governments. I have placed in the Library the two draft Parcom recommendations requested, together with the final recommendation.
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Radioactive Waste
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy on the preferred option for the disposal of radioactive spent fuel from advanced gas-cooled reactors, as between reprocessing and dry storage ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : It is for the owners of spent fuel to decide on safety, technical and economic grounds whether to reprocess spent fuel from advanced gas-cooled reactors or place it in dry storage.
Homelessness
Mr. Callaghan : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the latest figures for homeless households in temporary accommodation in England and Wales.
Sir George Young : The latest available estimate for the number of homeless households living in temporary accommodation relates to 31 March and appears in table 4(d) of "Households found accommodation under the homelessness provisions of the 1985 Housing Act 1985 : England. Statistics for the first quarter of 1993", a copy of which is in the Library.
For information about Wales, I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
Bed-and-breakfast Accommodation
Mr. Callaghan : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest estimate of the cost to local authorities of placing homeless families in bed-and-breakfast accommodation.
Sir George Young : The most recent year for which information is available is 1990-91, when it is estimated that English local authorities' revenue expenditure, defined as net current expenditure, on bed and breakfast and similar accommodation was £66.632 million.
Housing Completions
Mr. Callaghan : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the housing completion figures in (a) 1987 and (b) 1992.
Sir George Young : Estimates of housebuilding completions for England and Great Britain are shown in the publication "Housing and Construction Statistics". Figures for 1987 are in tables 6.1(a) and 6.1(d) of the 1981 to 1991 annual edition ; and provisional figures for 1992 are in tables 1.2(a) and 1.2(d) of the December quarter 1992 edition--issue No. 52. Copies of this publication are in the Library.
Gipsy Sites
Sir David Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to extend the period of conir normal habitats in July and August.
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