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Mr. Sproat : The alternative to writing off the debt owed by Unicorn Heritage plc would have been to ask the English tourist board to continue to seek recovery of the debt. This alternative was not considered feasible because it was clear there was no further practical action that the board would take, since the company's liquidators had stated categorically that there were no funds available to repay unsecured creditors.
Public Bodies
Dr. Wright : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage which non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible have (a) been abolished or (b) created since the establishment of his Department.
Mr. Sproat : Since the establishment of my Department, none of the non-departmental public bodies which it sponsors have been abolished and none have been created.
Ms Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what are his powers of direction in respect of chairmen of non-departmental public bodies funded by his Department.
Mr. Sproat [holding answer 7 February 1994] : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State does not have powers of direction in respect of the chairman of non-departmental public bodies funded by my Department. It is the boards of such bodies which are subject to certain provisions as regards direction in legislation and the financial memoranda setting out the relationship between the Department and each body.
Public Appointments
Dr. Wright : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) which of the public appointments for which he is responsible require advance notice to and consultation with the Chief Whip's office ; and which appointments have been so notified and consulted upon since the establishment of his Department ;
(2) which appointments since 1979 to public bodies or posts for which he is responsible have included candidates nominated by the Chief Whip's Office ; if any nominees by this source have been appointed ; and if he will give details.
Mr. Sproat : It is not the practice of Her Majesty's Government to answer parliamentary questions about discussions and consultations between Departments and offices of Government relating to public appointments.
Grants (Remission of Debts)
Mr. Enright : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to his answer of 1 February, Official Report, column 621, on remission of debts on grants, what is the delegated limit of a grant that can be written off by a sponsored body.
Mr. Sproat : Different conditions and levels of delegation have been agreed over time for each body sponsored by my Department. The levels are set in the bodies' financial memoranda and may be changed when the financial memoranda are reviewed or when new central guidance is issued. If the hon. Member would care to write to me separately saying which particular body or bodies he is interested in, I will provide him with the appropriate information.
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Taiwanese Tourists
Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many tourists are reported to have arrived in this country from Taiwan in each of the last three years.
Mr. Sproat : According to the international passenger survey, the number of Taiwanese residents visiting the United Kingdom was 32,000 in 1990, 34,000 in 1991 and 40,000 in 1992, the latest available year. All these estimates are subject to sampling error.
Paper Shredders
Mr. Rooney : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many paper shredding machines there are (a) in his private office and (b) in his Department.
Mr. Sproat [holding answer 7 February 1994] : My Department has two paper shredding machines, one of which is in the Secretary of State's private office.
PRIME MINISTER
Engagements
Sir Peter Tapsell : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 10 February.
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 this House, I shall be having further meetings later today.
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 10 February.
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 this House, I shall be having further meetings later today.
Lockerbie
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister what representations he has had from professors of law in Scotland about the issue of precedent, and the possibility of holding a trial of the alleged Libyan suspects for the bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie ; and if he will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : I have received no such representations.
Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy at his forthcoming meeting with his Irish counterpart to discuss the Irish Government's view of THORP.
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) of 2 February, Official Report, column 702, if he will raise with the Presidents of the European Commission and European Council of Ministers
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the possibility of making an exception to the convention of confidentiality covering correspondence between the Commission and member states in the case of the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield.Scott Inquiry
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister if he will seek to establish from Lord Justice Scott whether he objects to the release by Government Departments of memoranda and other documents that they have submitted for consideration by his inquiry.
The Prime Minister : No. Lord Justice Scott has discretion, subject to consultation on sensitive and classified material, to publish evidence submitted to his inquiry in his final report. The Government do not intend to anticipate his decisions.
Cabinet Committees
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish an updated list of the ministerial committees of the Cabinet.
The Prime Minister : An updated list of the ministerial committees of the Cabinet, giving their composition and terms of reference, is given below. Copies of this list are available in the Library of the House.
Ministerial Committee on Economic and Domestic Policy (EDP)-- Composition
Prime Minister (Chairman)
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Secretary of State for the Home Department
President of the Board of Trade
Lord Privy Seal
Lord President of the Council
Secretary of State for the Environment
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Secretary of State for Scotland
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Secretary of State for Employment
Chief Secretary, Treasury
Secretary of State for Wales
Other Ministers will be invited to attend for items in which they have a departmental interest.
Terms of Reference
"To consider strategic issues relating to the Government's economic and domestic policies."
Ministerial Committee on Defence and Overseas Policy (OPD)-- Composition
Prime Minister (Chairman)
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Chancellor of the Exchequer
President of the Board of Trade
Secretary of State for Defence
Attorney-General
The Chief of Defence Staff will attend as required, as will the Chiefs of Staff when necessary.
Terms of Reference
"To keep under review the Government's defence and overseas policy."
Ministerial Committee on the Gulf (OPDG)--
Composition
Prime Minister (Chairman)
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Secretary of State for Defence
Attorney General
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The Chief of the Defence Staff will be invited to attend meetings of the Committee, others will be invited to attend as appropriate. Terms of Reference"To keep under review developments in the Gulf region and to co-ordinate any necessary action."
Ministerial Committee on Nuclear Defence Policy (OPDN)-- Composition
Prime Minister (Chairman)
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Chancellor of the Exchequer
Secretary of State for Defence
Terms of Reference
"To keep under review the Government's policy on nuclear defence." Ministerial Committee on European Security (OPDSE)--
Composition
Prime Minister (Chairman)
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Chancellor of the Exchequer
Secretary of State for Defence
Terms of Reference
"To keep under review arrangements for defence and security in Europe."
Ministerial Committee on Hong Kong and Other Dependent Territories (OPDK)--
Composition
Prime Minister (Chairman)
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Chancellor of the Exchequer
Secretary of State for the Home Department
President of the Board of Trade
Secretary of State for Defence
Lord President of the Council
Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Others, including the Attorney General, the Governor of Hong Kong, and the British Ambassador in Peking may be invited to attend as appropriate.
Terms of Reference
"To keep under review the implementation of the agreement with the Chinese on the future of Hong Kong and the implications of that agreement for the Government of Hong Kong and the wellbeing of its people ; and to keep under review as necessary the Government's policy towards other Dependent Territories."
Ministerial Committee on Northern Ireland (NI)--
Composition
Prime Minister (Chairman)
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Secretary of State for the Home Department
Secretary of State for Defence
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Chief Secretary, Treasury
Attorney General
Other Ministers will be invited to attend as the nature of the business requires.
Terms of Reference
"To oversee the Government's policy on Northern Ireland issues and relations with the Republic of Ireland on these matters."
Ministerial Committee on Science and Technology-- (EDS)
Composition
Prime Minister (Chairman)
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs President of the Board of Trade
Secretary of State for Transport
Secretary of State for Defence
Secretary of State for the Environment
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