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Mr. Atkins : Below is the text of a statement which I have sent to the secretariat of the UNEP Basel convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal. "The United Kingdom restates its intention not to permit the export of wastes to developing countries for final disposal. However, the United Kingdom remains of the view that recycling of wastes offers environmental benefits provided that adequate environmental standards are maintained. Movement of wastes across international boundaries for that purpose does not detract from the environmental benefits, even though there is more difficulty in ensuring that the required standards are being maintained. The control mechanisms provided for under the Basel Convention are designed to overcome those difficulties. The United Kingdom, therefore, does not intend, for the time being, to prohibit the export of any waste moving towards environmentally sound recovery processes within developing countries, provided that the requirements of the Basel Convention
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are met. The United Kingdom is taking an active role in the work proceeding in the Technical Working Group to draw up guidelines for environmentally sound recovery operations. These guidelines will assist the United Kingdom in deciding which operations are environmentally sound and which are not.Shipments of hazardous waste from the United Kingdom to developing countries will be investigated over the coming months so that the United Kingdom can meet its obligations under the Basel Convention and the EC Waste Shipments Regulation : any shipments which are not moving towards environmentally sound recovery operations will be prohibited. If, following this investigation, we find that, in general, wastes exported from the United Kingdom to developing countries are not being recovered to adequate environmental standards, then the United Kingdom will consider again the question of imposing a general ban on the movements of hazardous wastes to all or selected developing countries. We will report on our progress in this investigation".
Travellers
Mr. Roger Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish guidance on the planning aspects of gipsy sites.
Mr. Baldry : My Department and the Welsh Office issued a joint circular on 5 January giving guidance to local planning authorities on the planning aspects of gipsy sites. The guidance forms part of our measures to reduce unauthorised camping, including our proposals to reform the Caravan Sites Act 1968.
The guidance should help local planning authorities to decide where gipsy caravan sites are best located and provide for them in development plans. Our objective is that gipsies should find, develop and run sites for themselves, as many of them wish to do.
Royal Palaces
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which costs relating to accommodation of the occupied royal palaces are borne by his Department and which by the occupants of (a) grace and favour accommodation and (b) accommodation for members of the royal family no longer on the Civil List.
Mr. Sproat : I have been asked to reply.
My Department meets the landlord's costs of grace and favour accommodation in the occupied royal palaces in England, including that of members of the royal family no longer on the Civil List. These costs include maintenance of the structure and exterior of the building, painting or wall-papering of internal walls and surfaces, permanent fixtures in bathrooms and kitchens and the provision and maintenance of hot water, heating and electrical services. Occupants meet the costs of carpets, curtains, other soft furnishings and moveable equipment and day-to-day minor maintenance and pay for light, heat, water, telephones and council tax. There are slightly different arrangements for the Queen's house, Edinburgh for which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment is responsible and where his Department pays for all maintenance costs including minor maintenance. The occupants are responsible for paying for the costs of utilities, council tax, soft furnishings and moveable equipment.
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much of the £250,000 spent on refurbishment of apartments in St. James's palace was spent on royal apartments ; and how much was spent on each apartment.
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Mr. Sproat : I have been asked to reply.
The sum of £40,000 was spent on royal apartments at St. James's palace in 1992-93, of which £38,000 was on an apartment for His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales when he moved from Kensington palace. The remaining £2,000 was spent on minor items of maintenance in other royal apartments.
Nuclear Waste
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to give permission to British Nuclear Fuels plc for the operation of its waste treatment facility for the encapsulation of plutonium-contaminated material located at Sellafield.
Mr. Eggar : I have been asked to reply.
Operation of this facility is a commercial matter for British Nuclear Fuels plc, subject to meeting the requirements of the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Sensitive Exports
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the countries included on the restricted list for sensitive technologies or military exports (a) in 1979, and (b) currently ; and if he will indicate the reasons for the changes in the list since 1979.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The Export of Goods (Control) Order 1992 imposes restrictions on the export of sensitive technologies and military goods. Unless otherwise specified, the export of goods listed in this order is controlled to all destinations.
A list of destinations subject to special export licensing procedures was first announced to Parliament on 19 December 1991, Official Report, columns 230-31, and subsequently published. Since then, the following changes to that list have been publicised :
the deletion of Hungary as a result of its deproscription by COCOM ;
the deletion of the Soviet Union and replacement by individual identification of all territories formerly part of the Soviet Union ;
the deletion of Czechoslovakia and replacement by individual identification of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic following their separation into individual countries on 1 January 1993 ;
the addition of all territories formerly part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
The Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic were deproscribed by COCOM on 1 January 1994 and this will be reflected in the next published list.
Saudi Arabia
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response was received from the Government of Saudi Arabia to the official protests following the breaking up of a concert at the international school at Yambu by Saudi police.
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Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The Saudi Arabian authorities were very concerned about the interruption of the winter concert at Yanbu international school on 29 November 1993. They have told Her Majesty's embassy in Riyadh that the incident will be investigated.
Ben Needham
Mrs. Helen Jackson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to discover the whereabouts of the toddler Ben Needham following his abduction in Greece in 1991.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Since they were informed of Ben Needham's disappearance, consular officials have been in regular contact with the Greek authorities in Athens and Kos, and also with the United Kingdom police. The Greeks have conducted several searches for Ben on Kos. The Greek police and police in several other countries continue to investigate every reported sighting. Ben has not been forgotten.
Lockerbie Air Crash
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons he declined the request for a spokesman for the BBC Radio 4 programme "File on Four" on 21 December 1993 relating to Lockerbie.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Our policy on the Lockerbie bombing has been made clear on numerous occasions.
COCOM
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the matters discussed and decisions taken at the meeting of the Co-ordinating Committee on Multilateral Export Controls held in The Hague on 16 November.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Representatives of the Governments participating in COCOM met in The Hague on 16 November. They agreed that COCOM should be terminated as soon as possible, but no later than 31 March 1994. There was also broad agreement that, at the same time, new arrangements should be established to promote transparency and responsibility in the transfer of armaments and related dual-use goods : the details of the new arrangements remain to be decided.
Ministerial Powers
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the powers he has under public legislation to give directions to local authorities or otherwise require them to act in a way which he prescribes, giving in each case the legislative authority under which he may exercise these powers.
Mr. Goodlad : There are many ministerial statutory powers in relation to local authorities in the United Kingdom. However, none of them, so far as I am aware, specifies that it is the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who is to exercise the power. As regards those powers expressed to be exercisable by "the Secretary of State", it would be most unusual for my right hon. Friend to be the appropriate Secretary of State to do so.
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NORTHERN IRELAND
Ministerial Powers
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the powers he has under public legislation to give directions to local authorities or otherwise require them to act in a way which he prescribes, giving in each case the legislative authority under which he may exercise these powers.
Mr. Tim Smith : Under the present constitutional arrangements for Northern Ireland I have no powers of direction which are specific and exclusive to the local authorities in the Province. Government Departments do, however, have powers under a wide range of legislative provisions to direct and to prescribe by regulations and by other means what action should be taken by district councils. This information is not readily available, however, and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.
EDUCATION
Student Awards
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will set out for each local authority in rank order the expenditure on major discretionary awards per head of adult population in the latest year for which figures are available.
Mr. Boswell : The available information on discretionary awards made at between 50 per cent. and 100 per cent. of the mandatory rate is given in the table.
Total expenditure on full value<1> discretionary awards per head of the adult population<2> Local authority |1991-92 (£) ------------------------------------------------------------- Cumbria |16.02 North Yorkshire |14.27 Walsall |9.84 Knowsley |9.79 Cheshire |8.94 Powys |8.92 Leicestershire |8.15 Wirral |7.65 Westminster |7.52 Dorset |7.42 Hackney |7.37 Devon |7.10 Corporation of London |7.08 Richmond upon Thames |7.02 Liverpool |7.00 Durham |6.76 Lancashire |6.70 Islington |6.42 Suffolk |6.28 Shropshire |6.15 Humberside |6.11 Kirklees |5.79 Kingston upon Thames |5.68 Gloucestershire |5.62 Kensington and Chelsea |5.41 Barnsley |5.27 Clwyd |5.21 Cleveland |5.04 Brent |5.01 Avon<3> |4.96 Camden |4.92 Ealing |4.79 Hampshire |4.72 Sunderland |4.71 Bradford |4.68 Newham |4.49 Lewisham |4.47 North Tyneside |4.46 West Glamorgan |4.45 Bromley |4.42 Southwark |4.41 Tower Hamlets |4.39 Norfolk |4.31 Sefton |4.31 South Tyneside |4.26 Kent |4.09 South Glamorgan |4.06 Barking |3.96 Bury |3.80 Waltham Forest |3.72 Lincolnshire |3.66 Wakefield |3.51 Redbridge |3.43 Cornwall and Scilly Isles<4> |3.35 Isle of Wight |3.32 Greenwich |3.31 Berkshire |3.29 Hereford and Worcester |3.22 Gateshead |3.20 Bexley |3.14 Leeds |3.11 Wiltshire |3.08 Gwent |3.08 Cambridgeshire |3.05 Somerset |3.04 Hertfordshire |3.04 Trafford |2.90 Sutton |2.83 Lambeth |2.75 Nottinghamshire |2.68 Oxfordshire |2.65 Northumberland |2.57 Northamptonshire |2.55 Rotherham |2.36 Mid-Glamorgan |2.26 Essex |2.21 Birmingham |2.21 Bedfordshire |1.96 Hammersmith and Fulham |1.95 Barnet |1.94 Croydon |1.93 St. Helens |1.92 Staffordshire |1.89 Sandwell |1.87 Surrey |1.85 Hillingdon |1.84 Havering |1.80 Buckinghamshire |1.70 Oldham |1.70 Solihull |1.67 Bolton |1.67 Doncaster |1.62 Rochdale |1.61 Derbyshire |1.55 Merton |1.54 Enfield |1.51 Dudley |1.44 East Sussex |1.37 Dyfed |1.32 West Sussex |1.17 Tameside |1.10 Newcastle upon Tyne |1.05 Stockport |1.01 Manchester |1.00 Coventry |0.99 Harrow |0.85 Wolverhampton |0.76 Wigan |0.66 Hounslow |0.64 Warwickshire |0.63 Sheffield |0.57 Salford |0.42 Gwynedd |0.26 Haringey<5> |0.00 Wandsworth<6> |n/a Notes: <1> Full value awards are those paid at between 50 per cent. and 100 per cent. of the mandatory rate. <2> 1992 mid-year population estimates of age 16+ based on 1991 census. <3> Expenditure on sandwich students not available. <4> Cornwall and Isles of Scilly combined because separate population data are not available-Isles of Scilly made no full value awards in 1991-92. <5> Haringey made no full value awards in 1991-92. <6> LEA unable to supply appropriate information. No information is available in respect of awards made by the London residuary body.
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the expenditure on supplementary allowances to students in receipt of a mandatory award in respect of their dependants ; and if he will give a breakdown of such allowances by age group of students and gender of students.
Mr. Boswell : In the 1991-92 academic year, the latest year for which data are available on mandatory awards made by local education authorities, the gross value of the supplementary allowances made in respect of students' dependants was £29.2 million. Supplementary allowances are not payable separately : they form part of the student's total maintenance requirement which may be reduced according to the other resources available to him before his net grant is calculated. Information on the age group and gender of students eligible for dependants' allowances is not collected centrally.
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what help is available to assist with the cost of school meals and transport for mature students in receipt of a mandatory award who have children of school age.
Mr. Boswell : Since the implementation of the Social Security Act 1986 in 1988, only children whose parents are in receipt of income support and those children who are themselves eligible for income support, are entitled to receive free school meals. Although most full-time students are not entitled to social security benefits, including income support, certain students in vulnerable groups, including lone parents and disabled students, may be able to claim benefits. Students' partners are able to claim benefits in their own right.
Local education authorities must provide free transport if they consider it necessary to facilitate a pupil's school attendance, and may help other pupils with their fares. Authorities are not required to make special arrangements for children whose parents are in receipt of a mandatory award.
Nursery Education
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will reply to the petition on nursery education presented to the House on 19 November 1993.
Mr. Robin Squire : My right hon. Friend has noted this petition. It calls for a statutory duty to be laid on local education authorities to provide nursery education on
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demand. We have repeatedly made clear that the Government's policy is to promote choice and diversity in pre-school provision and to extend access as resources allow. Universal state nursery education would be neither consistent with that policy nor affordable at present.NATIONAL HERITAGE
Quangos
Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the names of all former hon. Members who since 1979 have been appointed to quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations, excluding appointments as justices of the peace, giving in each case the title of the post, any salary payable and the duration of the appointment.
Mr. Sproat [holding answer 11 January 1994] : The former Members of the House of Commons who have been appointed since April 1992 to the bodies for which the Department of National Heritage is responsible, are set out.
Information about the appointment of former Members to bodies which are now the responsibility of the Department of National Heritage before the creation of the Department is not held centrally. No salaries--as distinct from expenses--are paid except where otherwise indicated.
The Rt. Hon. Lord Barnett--Trustee, Victoria and Albert Museum, September 1992 for three years ; member, board of the National Film and Television School, July 1993 for 18 months--£2,030.
The Rt. Hon. Lord Cocks of Hartcliffe--vice chairman, British Broadcasting Corporation, August 1993 for five years--£15,140. Mr. John Lee-- chairman, board of the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry, October 1992 for three years ; member, board of the English tourist board, November 1992 for two years.
Mr. Bryan Magee--member, Arts Council of Great Britain, January 1993 for four years.
Mr. Matthew Parris--member, Broadcasting Standards Council, January 1993 for five years--£10,900.
Mr. Alf Dubs--member, Broadcasting Standards Council, May 1992 for 10 months--£10,900.
The Rt. Hon. Lord Rees--commissioner, Museums and Galleries Commission, February 1993 for four years--reappointment.
The Rt. Hon. the Lord St. John of Fawsley--chairman, Royal Fine Art Commission, November 1992 for four years--reappointment.
Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the names of all former British representative members of the European Parliament who since 1979 have been appointed to quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations, excluding appointments as justices of the peace, giving in each case the title of the post, any salary payable and the duration of the appointment.
Mr. Sproat [holding answer 11 January 1994] : The only former British representative member in the European Parliament who has been appointed since April 1992 to the bodies for which the Department of National Heritage is responsible, is :
The Baroness Hooper--trustee, National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside, April 1993 for five years.
Information about the appointment of former MEPs to bodies which are now the responsibility of the Department of National Heritage before the creation of the Department is not held centrally.
Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the names of all individuals who are
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or were members of the House of Lords who since 1992 have been appointed to any quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations, excluding appointments as justices of the peace, giving in each case the title of the post, any salary payable and the duration of the appointment.Mr. Sproat [holding answer 11 January 1994] : The members of the House of Lords who since 1992 have been appointed to bodies for which the Department of National Heritage has responsibility for the appointment or has responsibility for the body to which the appointment is made by Her Majesty the Queen or the Prime Minister are set out.
No salaries--as distinct from expenses--are paid, except where otherwise indicated.
The Lord Armstrong of Ilminster--chairman of the trustees, Victoria and Albert museum, May 1993 for five years--reappointment ; trustee, National Music Day Foundation, July 1992, for a maximum period of six years.
The Right Hon. Lord Barnett--trustee, Victoria and Albert museum, September 1992 for three years ; member, board of the National Film and Television School, July 1993 for 18 months--£2,030.
The Baroness Birk--trustee, Theatres Trust, April 1993 for three years.
The Baroness Blackstone--trustee, Natural History museum, March 1992 for five years.
The Lord Brabourne--trustee, Science museum, September 1993 for one year-- reappointment ; member, board of the National Film and Television School, December 1992 for two years, 10
months--reappointment.
The Baroness Brigstocke--chairman of trustees, Geffrye museum, November 1993 for three years--reappointment ; commissioner, Museums and Galleries Commission, February 1992 for five years
The Lord Cavendish of Furness--commissioner, English Heritage, October 1992 for three years--£2,420
The Right Hon. Lord Cocks of Hartcliffe--vice-chairman, British Broadcasting Corporation, August 1993 for five years--£15,140 The Lord Crathorne--trustee, National Heritage Memorial Fund, August 1992 for three years
The Baroness Dean--member, Broadcasting Complaints Commission, August 1993 for 5 years--£12,265.
The Viscount Downe--trustee, Science museum, September 1993 for three years --reappointment
HRH The Duke of Gloucester--trustee, British museum, September 1993 for five years--reappointment ; commissioner, English Heritage--October 1992 for three years--reappointment
The Right Hon. the Earl of Gowrie--chairman designate, Arts Council of England, appointment takes effect 1 April 1994, for five years The Baroness Hooper--trustee, National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside, April 1993 for five years
The Lord MacFarlane of Bearsden--trustee, National Heritage Memorial Fund, September 1993 for three years--reappointment
The Lord O'Neill--commissioner, Museums and Galleries Commission, January 1992 for five years--reappointment
The Rt Hon. Lord Rees--commissioner, Museums and Galleries Commission, February 1993 for four years--reappointment
The Lord Rothschild--chairman, National Heritage Memorial Fund, April 1992 for three years
The Right Hon. the Lord St. John of Fawsley--chairman, the Royal Fine Art Commission, November 1992 for four years--reappointment The Duke of Wellington--trustee, the board of the Royal Armouries, October 1992 for three years--reappointment
Civil Servants
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many civil servants are employed at his Department to deal with tourism issues ; and what is the total annual cost of their salaries.
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Mr. Brooke [holding answer 11 January 1994] : I refer to the answer given to the hon. Member for Ellesmere Port and Neston (Mr. Miller) on Monday 13 December, Official Report, column 458.
Playing Fields Register
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will arrange for the national register of playing fields to be placed in the Library.
Mr. Brooke : The Sports Council is providing a copy of the register's database on diskette to the Library of the House.
Departmental Staff
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list for each civil service grade in his Department (a) the total number of persons employed and (b) the total number of women employed.
Mr. Sproat : The total number of staff by grade and the number of women in each grade within the Department of National Heritage excluding its two executive agencies, the Historic Royal Palaces and the Royal Parks, are listed in the table.
DNH Staff as at 22 November 1993
Grade |Total number|Of which
|in Grade |female
-----------------------------------------------------------
1A |1 |-
G3 |4 |1
G4 |1 |-
G5 |15 |4
G6 |5 |4
G7 |42 |11
SEO |17 |6
HEOD |2 |1
AT |3 |3
HEO |46 |20
EO |55 |23
AO |54 |28
AA |27 |15
SPS |5 |5
PS |17 |17
Typist |7 |7
SGB1 |1 |1
SGB2 |10 |7
SIO |5 |-
IO |4 |1
CUR E |2 |2
CUR G |3 |-
Assistant Librarian |1 |1
|-- |--
Totals |327 |156
Regional Conferences
Ms Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will provide a list of the (a) dates, (b) locations and (c) invitees for his current programme of regional conferences with groups involved in Department of National Heritage subjects.
Mr. Sproat : The Department of National Heritage is holding a series of regional conferences throughout England for bodies involved in DNH subjects in order to support networks and help create new ones, and to identify examples of best practice and innovation for dissemination throughout the country.
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The first conference took place on 3 December 1993 for the northern region at St. James's park, Newcastle United Football Club. The next four conferences will take place in 1994 as follows --venues have not all be identified :18 February
South-west : Rougemont hotel, Exeter
15 April
West Midlands
10 June
Eastern region
22 July
North-west
There will be four more conferences for the south-east, east midlands, Yorkshire and Humberside and London, but the order and timing of those conferences are yet to be established. I would expect the conference series to be completed in spring 1995.
The invitation list will vary from region to region. I attach an illustrative list of organisations likely to be invited. We envisage each conference to be attended by about 100 delegates.
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