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Mr. Neil Hamilton : As the hon. Member is aware from my letter to him of 22 November, I wrote to Mr. R. G. Williams, chairman and managing director of Grand Metropolitan Estates Ltd, which manages the property arm of Inntrepreneur Estates Limited, about the possibility of the company meeting representatives of the National Association of Intrepreneur Lessees.
Mr. Williams has explained that his company does not propose to meet NAIL, although it has met with individual IEL lessees and a legal representative of theirs. He also explained that the company will be initiating meetings with individual hon. Members who have expressed an interest in IEL matters.
Brewery Industry
Mr. Wareing : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what recent discussions he has held with Sir Allen Sheppard, chairman of Grand Metropolitan Estates, in respect of developments in the brewery industry ; what issues were discussed ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade has had no recent discussions with Sir Allen Sheppard in respect of developments in the brewing industry. Sponsorship of this industry is of course the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Minister for Agriculture.
Mr. Wareing : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what information he has on the number of public house closures since the Supply of Beer (Tied Estate) Order 1989 was introduced ; how many of these were Inntrepreneur lessees ; when he intends to review the operation of the Beer Orders ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : Neither my Department nor the Office of Fair Trading has any information on the number of public house closures or the former ownership of closed houses. Such information is not required to monitor compliance with the Beer Orders.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 27 May 1993, Official Report, column 694.
Economic Development, Merseyside
Mr. Wareing : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the persons and organisations on Merseyside he has met during the current year to discuss economic development issues.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade has this year met representatives of a number of organisations on Merseyside concerned with economic development, ranging from the Merseyside development corporation to the Mersey Partnership.
Victoria Street Offices
Mr. Byers : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when his Department vacated the offices at 1-16 Victoria street, London ; and what future plans there are for their use.
Mr. Eggar : My Department vacated 1-19 Victoria street in September 1991. On our future plans, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Greenway) on 4 November 1993, Official Report, column 349.
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Mr. Byers : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the rent and other associated costs in 1993-94 for 1-19 Victoria street, London.
Mr. Eggar : The expenditure on rent, rates and associated costs in 1 -19 Victoria street will be £1.5 million in 1993-94.
Nuclear Industry
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he will announce the timetable for the review of the nuclear industry.
Mr. Eggar : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I made to the hon. Member for Clackmannan (Mr. O'Neill) on 20 October 1993, Official Report, column 245.
Car Industry
Mr. Cousins : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many people were employed in (a) car retailing and (b) car repairing and servicing in 1990, 1991 and 1992 ; and what is the estimated size of car dealers networks in each of those years.
Mr. Sainsbury : The latest figures available from the census of employment records 211,200 people employed in the retail distribution of motor vehicles and components in 1991 and 171,000 in the repair and servicing of motor vehicles. This compares with 210,200 and 193, 000 respectively in 1989. No figures are available for 1990 or 1992. Published statistics are not available on the size of car dealer networks.
Post Office Privatisation
Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many officials, by grade, in his Department are currently working on the privatisation of the Post Office.
Mr. McLoughlin : Officials working primarily on the Post Office review and the privatisation of Parcelforce are as follows : 1.5 grade 5s ; 2.5 grade 7s ; 1 HEO ; 1 HEO(D) ; 0.5 personal secretary and 2 AAs. Higher grade officials are also involved in these matters as necessary.
Telecommunications Industry
Mr. Tredinnick : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on competition in the telecommunications industry.
Mr. McLoughlin : The Government continue to base their telecommunications policy on the 1991 White Paper, "Competition and Choice : Telecommunications Policy for the 1990s", Cm 1461. We are firmly committed to greater competition and liberalisation in telecoms. These policies have created a vigorous sector to the benefit of both business and residential customers.
Consumer Affairs Council
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what matters were discussed and what decisions taken at the Consumer Affairs Council in Brussels on 19 November.
Mr. McLoughlin : The Council discussed the draft timeshare directive, and agreed on a common position by a qualified majority vote.
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Indonesia
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what guarantees were received from the Government of Indonesia concerning the military uses of exports from Britain of vehicles, planes and other military equipment.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 24 November 1993] : Each export licence application is treated on its merits on a case-by-case basis. Her Majesty's Government's policy on the export of defence equipment is based on the right of sovereign states to their own self defence in accordance with article 51 of the UN charter.
Her Majesty's Government has no reason to believe that military goods exported under licence to Indonesia have been used for internal security purposes. We have received assurances from the Indonesian Government as recently as this summer that the Hawk aircraft, for example, will not be used for internal security purposes.
Konver Funding
Mr. Burns : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to announce his decisions on the bids for Konver funding by Essex county council and others ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : The United Kingdom Konver programme committee met on 24 November. I plan to announce the decisions early in December.
DEFENCE
Depleted Uranium
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many types of gun or cannon his Department deploys which can fire depleted uranium bullets or shells.
Mr. Hanley : The British Armed Forces are currently equipped with two kinds of ammunition containing depleted uranium : 120mm tank ammunition and 20mm ammunition for the Royal Navy's Vulcan Phalanx point defence weapons system.
Firepower Measurements
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department measures the explosive firepower of the United Kingdom's nuclear weapons in terms of megaton equivalents.
Mr. Aitken : The explosive power of the United Kingdom's nuclear weapons is measured in kilotonne and megatonne equivalents.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the megaton equivalent of a (a) 10 kilotonne, (b) 20 kilotonne, (c) 100 kilotonne and (d) 200 kilotonne nuclear warhead.
Mr. Aitken : One kilotonne is equivalent to 0.001 megatonnes.
Departmental Land, Plymouth
Mr. Streeter : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the names and addresses of the sites owned by the Ministry of Defence within the Plymouth city boundary and indicate their current uses.
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Mr. Hanley : A list of the freehold sites in the Plymouth area together with their current use is as follows :
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Ministry of Defence freehold sites in Plymouth
Site/establishment |Current use
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Royal Citadel |29 Commando Regiment (Royal Artillery)
Millbay Park |Sports ground used by Service personnel from the Royal Citadel
Manadon |Royal Naval Engineering College
Bowden Park |Sports ground used by Service personnel from RNEC Manadon
Ernesettle |Royal Naval Armament Depot
Bull Point, St. Budeaux |Royal Naval Armament Depot and Royal Naval sports pitches
Western King |Public open space (let to Plymouth City Council)
HM Naval Base |Operational Naval Base including North Yard, South Yard,
| Morice Yard, Goschen Yard, HMS Defiance, Weston Mill
| area and other minor sites
Keyham Sports Ground |Royal Naval Sports Ground
HMS Drake |Shore based Royal Naval accommodation
Various married quarter sites |Residential accommodation for married Service personnel and
throughout the Plymouth area | their families
Fort Staddon |Royal Naval Wireless Station
Staddon Heights |Army training area and public open space
Radford Woods, Plymstock |Former Royal Naval Oil Fuel Depot
Barton Road, Turnchapel |Former Royal Naval Oil Fuel Depot
Mount Batten |Former Royal Air Force Station
Mount Wise, Devonport |HQ Flag Officer Plymouth
RNH Stonehouse, Plymouth |Royal Naval Hospital
Brickfields, Devonport |Royal Naval Sports Grounds
Rectory, Devonport |Services Rugby Ground
Royal William Yard, Stonehouse |Former Naval Stores Depot
Stonehouse Barracks |HQ 3 Brigade Royal Marines
Seaton Barracks |Commando Logistic Regiment and Royal Marine Training Area
RM Coypool |Commando Logistic Regiment, Royal Marines
RM Turnchapel |539 Assault Squadron, Royal Marines
Mr. Streeter : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what Ministry of Defence land and buildings in Plymouth he expects to be surplus to MOD requirement in the next five years and to be disposed of to the private sector.
Mr. Hanley : The following surplus sites are expected to be sold over the next five years :
Former RAF Mount Batten
Royal William Yard
Western King Open Space
Mount Wise (Part of Site)
Former oil fuel depots at Radford Woods, Plymstock and at Barton Road, Turnchapel
Royal Naval Hospital, Stonehouse
Hamoaze House
Seymour House
26 residential properties
A number of small sites are also expected to be sold.
The rationalisation of MOD landholdings and the early sale of surplus land and buildings is a key priority. Opportunities for release of future sites in Plymouth will be kept under review.
Housing, Scotland
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number of houses owned by his Department in (a) Dundee and (b) Scotland ; how many of these houses are currently empty ; and how many of these houses which have been empty for (i) one to two years, (ii) two to three years and (iii) more than three years.
Mr. Hanley : As at 30 September 1993, MOD owned 63 married quarters in Dundee, of which 27 were vacant, and 6,504 married quarters in Scotland, of which 731 were vacant, as follows :
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Married quarters |Dundee |Scotland vacant --------------------------------------------------------------------- Less than 1 year |6 |596 Between 1-2 years |0 |101 Over 2 years |21 |34
Our statistics do not separately identify those properties which have been vacant for more than three years.
The majority of the vacant quarters were either undergoing or awaiting major maintenance work or modernisation, already allocated to service families who were due to move in shortly, or held for units returning from overseas. Following various studies, it has now been decided to sell a site in Dundee which contains 21 properties vacated because of structural problems.
MOD also owned 238 civilian houses throughout Scotland, of which 16 had been vacant for less then six months and 47 for over six months. Fifty-four of the vacant civilian houses were leased properties awaiting early return to Dumbarton district council.
In addition 80 vacant service married quarters and 29 vacant civilian houses were in the process of being sold.
Equipment Sales
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what sums have been earned from sales of defence equipment to those countries whose Governments have received directly or indirectly substantial repayments of tax as a result of the exercise of sovereign immunity during each of the last seven years.
Mr. Aitken : It has been the practice of successive Governments not to reveal details of sales of defence equipment. Information relating to the value of such sales is published in table 1.11 of "UK Defence Statistics". A copy of the 1993 edition is available in the House Library.
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Winter Supplies
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has on the adequacy of supplies of winter uniforms and equipment to British forces under United Nations command in Vitez, Gorni Vakuf and surrounding areas.
Mr. Hanley : Adequate supplies of clothing and equipment for the British troops are held in Bosnia and all personnel have at least the same sort of cold weather clothing as those in Germany including winter underwear and gloves. Although over 80 per cent. of troops deployed in the former Yugoslavia have their full complement of cold weather clothing some troops in Vitez have yet to be issued with the enhanced package due to the closure of the supply route between Vitez and Split by fighting between the rival factions and by bad weather. Movement along the route has now commenced following negotiations with local military commanders and the remaining clothing supplies for the British troops will be a high priority.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
Priorities
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are his Department's overseas development priorities for this parliamentary session.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The Overseas Development Administration's priority objectives for the current financial year are set out in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office departmental report 1993, Cm 2202. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development described ODA's priority objectives for 1994-95 in a speech she made to the Royal Institute of International Affairs on 18 October. Copies of the report and the speech are in the Libraries of the House.
Forests
Mr. William Powell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking to promote the implementation of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development forest principles internationally.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : On 13 September my noble Friend Baroness Chalker of Wallasey and the Indian Minister of Environment and Forests, Kamal Nath, signed a memorandum of understanding establishing an Indo-British forestry initiative to work towards improved international co-operation on forest issues. The United Kingdom and India will together promote progress on the implementation of the UNCED forest principles and the success of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development's review of forestry in 1995. My noble Friend Baroness Chalker of Wallasey has written to the chairman of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, Ambassador Razali, and the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Policy Co- ordination and Sustainable Development, Mr. Desai,
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proposing that the United Kingdom and India should jointly host an international workshop in 1994 to prepare for this review.EDUCATION
Grant-maintained Schools
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the specific purpose grants given to grant-maintained schools in south Yorkshire for each financial year since 1991-92, including the current year ; and what was the purpose of each grant.
Mr. Robin Squire : The following self governing schools in South Yorkshire have received special purpose grants--SPGs :
Amount paid (£)
for each financial
year
School |1992-93 |1993-94
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clifford C E First School, Sheffield
SPG (Transitional) |21,834 |-
SPG (Development) |2,915 |4,985
SPG (Restructuring) |11,136 |-
SPG (VAT) |1,044 |4,141
SPG (Premises) |- |920
All Saints RC School, Sheffield
SPG (Transitional) |- |59,640
SPG (Development) |- |24,490
SPG (VAT) |- |<1>31,391
Notre Dame School, Sheffield
SPG (Transitional) |- |50,610
SPG (Development) |- |22,436
SPG (Restructuring) |- |8,652
SPG (VAT) |- |<1>28,664
St. John Fisher RC (VA) Primary, Sheffield
SPG (Transitional) |- |24,338
SPG (Development) |- |4,863
SPG (VAT) |- |4,298
<1>Provisional figures to be finalised.
The purpose of each of the SPGs is as follows :
Special Purpose Grant (Transitional)
Available to help with the costs incurred as a result of the school's acquisition of self governing status.
Special Purpose Grant (Development)
Available to fund management training, staff development and implementation of the national curriculum.
Special Purpose Grant (Restructuring)
Available to help with essential staff restructuring which involves costs arising from premature retirement, redundancy or voluntary severance of teaching staff.
Special Purpose Grant (VAT)
Compensates for the payment of VAT on supplies and services, which self governing schools may not claim back.
Special Purpose Grant (Premises)
Assists self governing schools with the additional cost of school premises insurance.
Schools (Newspapers and Books)
Mrs. Bridget Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much was spent by London schools on newspapers and books in the last available year.
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Mr. Robin Squire : The information is not collected centrally in the form requested. The 33 inner and outer London local education authorities spent a total of over £61 million on books and equipment in nursery, primary, secondary and special schools in 1991-92, the latest year for which figures are available.
University College, Dearne Valley
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects the proposed university college to be situated on the Dearne valley to be in operation.
Mr. Boswell : This is a matter for those involved in the project. I understand that the University of Sheffield is considering its plans in the light of consultation with the Higher Education Funding Council for England.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Fish Conservation
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make it her policy to take steps to suspend the Sea Fish Conservation Act 1993, and replace it with the proposals put forward by the National Federation of Fisheries Organisations ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Jack : I have given very careful consideration to the proposals put forward by the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations but I shall not make a statement until the High Court has delivered its judgment in the federation's judicial review proceeding. The changes to fisheries policy covered the NFFO document "Conservation : An Alternative Approach" would not require the suspension of the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1993.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make a statement about bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
Mr. Soames : A further progress report on BSE in Great Britain for the period up to 29 October is available today. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library of the House. The report details increasingly firm evidence that the ruminant feed ban is effective in controlling the epidemic in the way which has been predicted. The number of suspect cases of BSE reported in the last three months is 12.7 per cent. below that for the same period last year, 10,270 cases in 1993 compared with 11,759 cases in 1992. There is also a dramatic reduction in the number of cases occurring in younger animals.
Wind Energy
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how her Department was represented at the conference on wind energy opportunities on farms held in Stoneleigh on 11 November.
Mr. Jack : The conference was attended by an ADAS officer and an assistant regional planning advisor.
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Meat Inspection
Mr. Tyler : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what savings she expects the new meat inspection rules to bring to the meat industry ; what supervision will be carried out to ensure standards are maintained ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Soames : The introduction of the new poultry meat inspection system will result in reductions in poultry meat inspection costs estimated in July 1993 at £1.75 million. There will however be costs associated with the employment and training of poultry inspection assistants which the industry will be expected to bear.
Poultry inspection assistants will work under the supervision of the official veterinarian of a member of his team who will ensure standards are maintained.
Premiums and Arable Area Payments
Mrs. Lait : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were the dates of payment of sheep and beef premium and arable area payments including set-aside for 1993 and 1994.
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