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Red Routes
Mrs. Roche : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on parking problems caused by red routes.
Mr. Norris : As a result of the pilot red route scheme in north London there are now an additional 620 parking places along the 12.5 km route. Some concerns have recently been expressed about parking in residential streets adjacent to the pilot route. The traffic director will be reviewing the operation of the pilot scheme and its effects on side roads over the next year to see whether any modifications should be made.
BR Pension Fund
Ms Glenda Jackson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when he next plans to meet representatives of BR pensioners ; (2) when he plans to meet the chairman and chief executive of the BR Pension Fund Trustee Co. Ltd ;
(3) what response he has made to the statement by BR pension fund trustees on the effect of the Government's proposals in the Railways Bill on the security of pensioners' entitlement.
Mr. Freeman : Discussions are taking place with the trustees and their actuaries about arrangements for the proposed closed fund for pensioners. I should be happy to meet pensioners' representatives again if they wish.
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Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out his targets for the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by motor vehicles for the next 10 years.
Mr. Key : Under the climate change convention the Government will be committed to taking measures to return carbon dioxide, CO , emissions to 1990 levels by 2000. The target applies generally--there is no specific target for the transport sector. The Government are looking at all sectors together in deciding how best to meet the target.
The Government issued a consultative document seeking views on ways of limiting CO emissions. This document contained a wide range of possible measures. We are now considering responses to the document. A full programme of measures will be published by the end of the year.
Some steps in the programme have already been taken. In the Budget speech, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a 10 per cent. increase in road fuel duties. He also announced that in future Budgets he will increase duty on all road fuels by at least 3 per cent. in real terms. This is expected to save 1.5 million tonnes of carbon.
Fishing Vessels
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what search is made for secret fish holds when foreign-owned fishing vessels are registered as British.
Mr. Norris : Surveys and inspections of vessels are thorough. It is anticipated that they would disclose such holds.
Tyres
Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what figures he has on the number of motor accidents which can be attributed to the use of imported part-worn tyres ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : The information is not available in the form requested. Some 95 per cent. of accidents are caused by driver error rather than by defects in vehicles. The Government nevertheless propose to prohibit the sale of defective part-worn tyres by shortly introducing safety regulations to be made under the Consumer Protection Act 1987.
Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what he intends doing to increase public awareness of the new tyre legislation ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the increase in tyre tread depth for cars, light vans and light trailers that came into force on 1 January 1992. Measures were taken by both industry and Government to alert the public to the new law, for example, the industry's "Stay Legal, Stay Alive" campaign, and information in vehicle excise duty reminders. A recent survey has indicated that most tyres are being changed before or when their legal limit of 1.6 mm is reached. In these circumstances, the Government do not consider that further measures are needed to alert the public.
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Speed Cameras
Mr. Day : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to issue guidance to local authorities nationally on signing for speed cameras ; and whether this guidance will distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate circumstances for erecting such signs.
Mr. Key : Speed camera signs can presently be authorised by the Department's regional offices in appropriate circumstances. I expect to issue a roads circular to provide guidance to authorities following consultation with the local authority associations.
Bus Construction
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to make representations to the European Community to encourage the adoption of bus construction rules that would establish minimum levels of accessibility for disabled people.
Mr. Freeman : We are already doing so in discussions with the EC Commission and technical experts from other member states, on the possible terms of an EC proposal for a directive on bus and coach construction.
Motorway Widening
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what environmental assessment has been undertaken for current motorway widening schemes and the use of long span overbridges included within these schemes ;
(2) what steps are being taken by his Department to protect the environmental advantages of motorway verges ; and how are such verges and trees to be protected under stage one and stage two motorway widening schemes ;
(3) what steps have been taken to consult the public and environmental organisations over motorway widening schemes which will enable stage two widening to achieve (a) 12-lane motorways and (b) 10-lane motorways ;
(4) what proposals he has to make (a) 10 and (b) 12-lane motorways the standard motorway gauge ;
(5) what consultation has been undertaken with local communities and environmental bodies in relation to current and proposed motorway widening schemes ; and if he will list those bodies consulted.
Mr. Key : There is no programme of second stage widening to provide 10 and 12-lane motorways. Consultations and environmental assessments are carried out on all motorway widening schemes. Environmental statements include a description of the design of a project and the measures needed to mitigate significant adverse environmental effects. Existing vegetation will be kept wherever practicable. I am sending the honourable Lady a copy of the standard consultation list.
EMPLOYMENT
Youth Training
Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total number of young people who entered youth training in each of the last five years ; and what were in each year the qualifications they received.
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Miss Widdecombe : Information on the number of starts on youth training is given in table 1. Information on qualifications gained while on youth training is collected when a young person leaves the programme. The percentage of leavers with a qualification is given in table 2.
Table 1
Youth training scheme/youth training
Great Britain-Starts
April 1988 to March 1993
|Number
-----------------------------------------
April 1988 to March 1989 |407,200
April 1989 to March 1990 |383,800
April 1990 to March 1991 |347,800
April 1991 to March 1992 |293,000
April 1992 to March 1993 |286,600
Source: SPECTRUM, TEC Operating
Agreement (Annex J), Scottish & Welsh
Management Information.
Notes: Includes Youth Credits.
1992-93 information is provisional.
Table 2
Youth training scheme/youth training
Percentage gaining a qualification-all leavers
Great Britain
April 1988 to September 1992
|Per cent
-----------------------------------------------
April 1988 to March 1989 |41
April 1989 to March 1990 |43
April 1990 to March 1991 |38
April 1991 to March 1992 |33
April 1992 to September 1992 |35
Source: YT follow-up Survey.
Notes: Includes Youth Credits.
April 1991 to September 1992 information is
provisional.
London East TEC
Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the enterprise objectives of London East training and enterprise council in the London borough of Newham.
Miss Widdecombe : London East training and enterprise council's enterprise objectives for the London borough of Newham, set out in its action plan, are :
to establish, support, develop and further enhance both small and medium sized companies operating in the London Borough of Newham.
Older Workers
Mr. Spellar : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the work of the advisory group on older workers.
Miss Widdecombe : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Coventry, North-East (Mr. Ainsworth) on 8 July 1993, Official Report, column 261.
Apprenticeships
Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the Department doing to recapture the strength of the old apprenticeship system.
Miss Widdecombe : The Government are keen to promote and encourage the growth of modern apprenticeships offering high-quality training, open to young men
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and women equally and leading to national vocational qualifications which employers value. The Government already support some apprenticeships and similar training arrangements through youth credits and youth training. All concerned need to be clear that work- based training and vocational qualifications deserve equal esteem alongside other education and training options open to young people.Training Credits
Mr. Clapham : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many 16 and 17-year-olds in Yorkshire and Humberside have taken up training credits;
(2) how many 16 and 17-year-olds in the three Barnsley constituencies have taken up training credits.
Miss Widdecombe : In Yorkshire and Humberside, between April 1991 and March 1993, an estimated 5,400 16 and 17-year-olds took up their entitlement to a youth credit. Youth credits information is not collected at constituency level but at training and enterprise council level and Barnsley and Doncaster TEC is not a youth credit pilot area.
DEFENCE
Jungle Warfare Training
5. Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total cost to the British Army of training in jungle warfare per annum.
Mr. Hanley : Jungle training is undertaken in Belize and Brunei. The costs of jungle training in Belize are not separately identifiable from the overall costs of the garrison. The cost of the training team in Brunei in 1991-92 was some £2,300,000.
Commitments (Costs)
14. Mr. Clappison : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what results he expects from the exposition of the cost of each of Britain's defence commitments in the recent White Paper.
16. Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what benefits he expects from the exposition of the cost of each of Britain's defence commitments in the recent White Paper.
Mr. Rifkind : I hope that the analysis presented in our White Paper will make an unprecedented contribution to parliamentary and public debate on defence. The underlying methodology, including the attribution of costs, will also provide an invaluable aid to management, assisting future judgments on the most effective use of resources.
Nuclear Testing
15. Mr. Skinner : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with other EC Defence Ministers in respect of nuclear testing.
Mr. Rifkind : I am in frequent touch with European colleagues to discuss a range of defence issues.
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Depleted Uranium Ammunition
17. Mrs. Anne Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will reconsider the decision to use depleted uranium in anti-tank missiles.
Mr. Hanley : The British armed forces are equipped with only one type of anti-tank ammunition containing depleted uranium : this is high kinetic energy 120mm ammunition fired from tank guns. DU ammunition is used for its particular abilities to penetrate and thereby defeat modern armour. There are no plans to remove it from the Army's inventory.
C130s
18. Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress he has made on the replacement order for the C130s.
Mr. Aitken : We are currently considering the operational requirement and the associated procurement strategy for replacing or refurbishing our existing C130 fleet. When these matters have been resolved, we expect to invite tenders from those companies able to offer solutions within the required timescale. We should then be able to assess the best way to meet this requirement.
Housing
19. Mr. Hall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received concerning his policy on service housing.
Mr. Hanley : My Department receives an average of some 160 representations on service housing a month and approximately one-third of these are of a general policy nature.
Mr. Hendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the estimated cost of rent forgone for empty Ministry of Defence married quarters over the past year.
Mr. Hanley : It is my Department's policy to ensure that the number of vacant married quarters is kept to the minimum necessary to meet operational requirements. The calculation of quartering charges and the high turnover of occupancy in married quarters mean that it is not possible to establish the rent forgone on empty married quarters except at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Hendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many applications were received over the last three years from service personnel leaving the forces for discount sales of Ministry of Defence houses ; and how many applicants purchased houses.
Mr. Hanley : Over the last three years, ending 31 March 1993, 70, 861 applications from service personnel were received through the scheme for purchasing married quarters at a discount and 1,500 sales were completed. Many of these applications were multiple bids from the same individuals.
The scheme is open to all service personnel over the age of 25. It is not possible to identify the number of applications from and sales to personnel leaving the services except at disproportionate cost.
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Service Housing
Mr. Bates : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance his Department provides for the housing of former RAF personnel ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : A wide range of resettlement advice and support is available to all personnel leaving the services. A joint service housing advice office has been set up to provide advice and guidance on housing options, working closely with local authorities and housing associations. Other measures include the sale or lease of surplus property to housing associations in return for the reservation of places for rent by service personnel, and the provision by the Housing Corporation of do-it-yourself shared ownership opportunities, specifically for those leaving the services. Any personnel who have failed to find accommodation by the time they come to leave the services, will be allowed to stay on temporarily in his or her married quarter provided it is not required for a service family.
Mr. Hendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many discount sales of Ministry of Defence married quarters he expects to make in the forthcoming year to service personnel leaving the forces.
Mr. Hanley : The scheme for selling surplus married quarters at a discog sold through the discount scheme are being purchased by personnel leaving the services.
Mr. Hendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is his policy towards residence by those other than redundees whose term of service is not renewed in Ministry of Defence married quarters not required for use ;
(2) what is his policy towards the residence in his Department's married quarters outside secure perimeters of ex-service personnel.
Mr. Hanley : Ministry of Defence married quarters, whether inside or outside the perimeter fence, are reserved for the use of service families. All married service personnel are therefore required to vacate their quarters by their last day of service. The Ministry of Defence is, however, sympathetic to the needs of all ex-service families with housing difficulties ; in these circumstances ex-service personnel may be allowed to remain in their quarter until they have found alternative accommodation, as long as there are no pressing service requirements for the property.
Trident
20. Mr. Bryan Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the first Trident submarine will become operational.
Mr. Aitken : The first Vanguard class submarine will enter operational service with the Royal Navy towards the end of 1994 or early in 1995.
26. Mr. Ottaway : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the latest sea trials of the Trident programme.
Mr. Aitken : The United Kingdom's first Trident submarine, Vanguard, successfully completed her contractor's sea trials in January. Following the completion of
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planned finishing work at Barrow-in-Furness, the submarine is due to commence further sea trials later this year.22. Mr. Raymond S. Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next expects to meet the United States Defence Secretary to discuss the Trident programme.
Mr. Aitken : I next expect to meet the United States Defense Secretary at a NATO ministerial meeting in the autumn.
Eurofighter-2000 Project
21. Mr. Luff : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many United Kingdom contractors are involved in the Eurofighter-2000 project ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Aitken : Although my Department does not hold detailed information on all sub-contracts, we estimate that some 300 British companies are in the EF2000 supply chain. The project currently supports about 9,000 jobs in the United Kingdom. This figure is expected to rise to some 28,000 at the peak of the production phase.
Expenditure
23. Sir Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the percentage change in real terms in his Department's spending relative to the expenditure (a) five years ago and (b) 10 years ago.
Mr. Hanley : Underlying defence expenditure in 1993-94 is expected to be some 8.2 per cent. lower in real terms, measured using the GDP deflator, than in 1988-89, and some 10.2 per cent. lower than in 1983-84.
Out-of-area Commitments
24. Mr. Spellar : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the resource implications of current and potential out-of-area commitments.
Mr. Hanley : I refer the hon. Member to chapter 2 of this year's Statement on Defence Estimates, "Defending Our Future" (Cm 2270) published earlier this month.
Western European Union
25. Mr. Jim Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has held with WEU allies on the organisation's ability to transport troops and equipment to areas of potential conflict in the absence of full United States support ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : WEU Ministers agreed, at their last meeting in Rome on 19 May, that the WEU planning cell should develop studies relating to capabilities for strategic mobility. These studies form part of ongoing work in the WEU on the development of its operational role, as agreed at Maastricht and at Petersberg. The development of WEU concepts in this area is intended to be complementary to and compatible with alliance arrangements.
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Bosnia-Herzegovina
27. Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what military support is being provided to ensure the successful implementation of United Nations resolutions concerning safe areas in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Mr. Hanley : In addition to the United Kingdom's already substantial commitment to UN operations in the former Yugoslavia, 12 Jaguar aircraft, with their supporting ground crews, deployed to Italy last week as part of the NATO force.
Equipment
28. Mr. Jenkin : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the latest balance of trade between imports and exports of defence equipment ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Aitken : In 1992 there was a surplus of exports of identified defence equipment over imports of £888 million.
RAF Helicopters
29. Mrs. Browning : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many support and attack helicopters in RAF frontline service there were in (a) January 1989 and (b) January 1993 ; and what is the projected number in 1995.
Mr. Hanley : There were 94 support helicopters in RAF frontline service in January 1989 and 93 in January 1993. This number is currently planned to reduce to 90 by mid-1994.
As my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced in the Statement on the Defence Estimates 1993, "Defending Our Future" we plan to increase our support helicopter capability in the longer term. The in-service dates and number of additional aircraft will depend on decisions yet to be taken. The RAF does not operate attack helicopters.
Contracts, Chelmsford
30. Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on defence contracts awarded by his Department to defence-related industries in Chelmsford.
Mr. Aitken : During the 1992-93 financial year my Department placed work to the value of over £21 million with contractors in the Chelmsford area ; to date in the current financial year, work to the value of over £6 million has been placed. In addition, companies in the area have won a significant value of sub-contract work.
Chemical Weapons
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) pursuant to the answer of 12 May, Official Report, column 516, if he will place in the Library a copy of the report on CR gas provided to the United States Department of Defence under the terms of the technical co-operation programme ;
(2) how many scientific papers co-authored by scientists from the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down and their counterparts in the United States of America military were published between 1963 and 1979 ; what were the dates of these papers ; and in which scientific journals they were published ;
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(3) what co-operation exists between Britain and the United States of America on the scientific and technical aspects of binary chemical weapons ;(4) pursuant to his answer of 12 May, Official Report, columns 519-20, for how many years the then Chemical Defence Establishment researched into the behavioural effects of phencyclidine ; how many animals and service personnel were tested with phencyclidine ; whether these studies were published in open scientific literature ; what was the conclusion of this research ; and to which other pyschotomimetrics the results of the phencyclidine research were compared ;
(5) how many scientific papers co-authored by scientists from Porton Down and their counterparts in the Canadian military have been published since 1979 ; what were the dates of these papers ; and in which scientific journals they were published ;
(6) pursuant to his answer of 15 February to the hon. Member for Brent, East (Mr. Livingstone), Official Report , column 62 , on what date the nerve agent VX was last produced at the Chemical Defence Establishment at Nancekuke, Cornwall ; what was the total amount of nerve agent VX produced at Nancekuke ; and how all the VX produced at Nancekuke was disposed of ;
(7) pursuant to his answer of 12 May, Official Report , columns 516-17 , when the United States of America first supplied quantities of the nerve gas VX to Britain ; how many times VX was transferred from the United States of America to Britain ; to which United Kingdom Ministry of Defence establishment the VX was supplied on each occasion ; for what the VX was used on each occasion ; how much VX was supplied on each occasion ; from which United States military establishment the VX originated in each case ; and if the transfer of VX was arranged under the technical co-operation programme ; (8) how many times the United Kingdom supplied nerve agent VX to the United States of America ; from which United Kingdom Ministry of Defence establishment the VX originated on each occasion ; and for what reason the VS was transferred on each occasion ;
(9) how many staff from the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence visited or were posted to the United States nerve gas factory at Newport, Indiana ; when these visits or postings occurred ; and under which defence agreement they were arranged ;
(10) pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Brent, East (Mr. Livingstone) of 26 June 1992, Official Report , column 357 , on what dates chemical and biological agents have been transferred from Britain to Canada for the purposes of the provision of effective protective measures ; how the agents were used on each occasion ; from which British military establishments and to which Canadian military establishments the agents were transferred ; and through which defence agreement these transfers were arranged ;
(11) pursuant to his answer of 12 May, Official Report , column 518 , to the hon. Member for Leyton, when information gained through tests and studies on Francisella Tulerensis was first exchanged between Britain and the United States of America ; and under which agreement this was exchanged ;
(12) what research his Department carried out on the viral disease psittacosis ;
(13) how the workings of the technical co-operation programme were affected by the British decision to give up offensive work on chemical and biological weapons ; and
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