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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 10 March 1994
NATIONAL HERITAGE
D-day Landings (Commemoration)
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to his answer of 16 February, Official Report, columns 793-94, if he will publish a list of the civilian events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the D-day landings on 6 June, showing for each the date, location and estimated cost and intended public participation.
Mr. Sproat : Details of the Department of National Heritage's programme of civilian events will be announced in mid-April. Information about the large number of other events being planned in different parts of the country by various groups and individuals are available from the regional tourist boards.
Arts Council
Ms Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) what was the remit of the Arts Council's cultural diversity unit ; what were its objectives ; and how such objectives will now be served ;
(2) what was the remit of the Arts Council's disability unit ; what were its objectives ; and how those objectives will now be served.
Mr. Brooke : The Arts Council decided at its meeting in May 1993 to wind up in due course its strategic policy units covering cultural diversity, arts and disability and women in the arts, and to pass its continuing responsibilities to all relevant departments of the council.
I understand that the decision to integrate the work of the units with the art form departments reflects the fact that the units have largely succeeded in their aims of changing attitudes and awareness among funded bodies, and bringing about changes in the council's own practices.
The council will continue to take very seriously its commitment to these strategic policies in fulfilling its charter object to increase the accessibility of the arts to the public throughout the country.
Agency Chief Executives
Mr. Radice : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many agency chief executives in his Department are currently paid more than £82,925, excluding performance-related bonuses ; and whether such chief executives were recruited directly to their present post from outside the civil service.
Mr. Sproat : The Department of National Heritage has two executive agencies. The chief executives of both agencies are currently paid less than £82,925.
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Management Systems
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how much his Department's computer-aided facilities management systems cost ; from whom they were purchased ; how many person hours were required to commission them ; what the estimated and actual saving has been from their operation ; and to what extent the use of such systems accounts for the apparent rise in theft noted in his answer to the hon. and learned Member for Fife, North-East (Mr. Campbell) of 16 February, Official Report, column 791.
Mr. Sproat : My Department does not have a computer-aided facilities management system.
Freephone and Freepost
Mr. Donohoe : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will make a statement on the use of freephone and freepost facilities currently being operated by his Department ; how much these facilities are costing ; for what purposes these facilities are being used ; and how much his Department has spent on operating freephone and freepost facilities in each financial year since it came into operation.
Mr. Sproat : My Department introduced a freepost facility in January 1994. It will be used when seeking advice or information from organisations, often of charitable status, whose members would provide their services free of charge, or when carrying out consultation exercises. Costs of the facility to date are £300. My Department does not operate a freephone facility.
Child Care
Ms Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how much his Department spends on child care ; on what provision the sum is spent ; how many children receive the child care ; and if he will make a statement about child care.
Mr. Sproat [holding answer 7 March 1994] : The Department of National Heritage was established in April 1992.
In the 1993-94 financial year, this Department spent £1, 650-- excluding running costs--on child care. This provides one day care place in a nursery which opened in November 1993. In this instance, the place is subsidised as it can be justified in value-for-money terms.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
Aid and Trade Provision
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of overall development assistance was accounted for by the aid and trade provisions each year since 1978.
Mr. Goodlad : The percentage of the gross aid programme taken up by ATP expenditure since 1978 is :
|Per cent.
------------------------------
1979-80 |3.4
1980-81 |2.6
1981-82 |5.1
1982-83 |4.5
1983-84 |2.5
1984-85 |5.0
1985-86 |3.0
1986-87 |6.4
1987-88 |3.7
1988-89 |4.0
1989-90 |4.0
1990-91 |5.6
1991-92 |5.4
1992-93 |4.8
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements have been established by the Overseas Development Administration to ensure the proper use of aid and trade provision funds provided by his Department ; and what powers of discovery Overseas Development Administration officials have in regard to access to records of foreign nationals involved in ATP projects.
Mr. Goodlad : Following the announcement of the aid and trade provision review on 17 June 1993, Official Report, columns 675-76, ODA appraisal, approval and monitoring procedures for ATP projects have been brought into line with those applied to other bilateral aid projects. Under the Government-to-Government ATP grant agreement, ODA has rights of access to information relevant to the ATP contract between the overseas Government and the contractors.
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will investigate allegations that ATP funds, or other public funds provided through ODA programmes, have been used to bribe foreign officials or business men to secure contracts for British companies.
Mr. Goodlad : Yes. If there is any such evidence available, we do and will investigate any allegations.
United Nations High Commission for Refugees
Mr. Gill : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance he is giving to the general programmes budget of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 1994.
Mr. Goodlad : My noble Friend Baroness Chalker of Wallasey has approved a grant of £6 million for UNHCR's general programmes budget for 1994. This follows our highest contribution ever in 1993, at over £50 million, to both UNHCR's general and special programmes budgets. We shall be continuing to monitor UNHCR's work and needs during the year with a view to responding appropriately to appeals as they issue.
Pergau Dam
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the proportion of the aid budget for (a) 1989 and (b) 1994 taken up by the funding for the Pergau dam scheme in Malaysia.
Mr. Goodlad : The estimated percentage of the aid budget taken up by the funding of the Pergau project in the financial year 1993-94 is 0.8 per cent. There was no expenditure on the project in 1989-90.
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Overseas Aid Projects
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the build quality and value for money of (a) the Rihand power station in Uttar Pradesh, (b) Burri power station in Sudan, (c) the north Khartoum power station in Sudan, (d) the Ashuganj power station in Bangladesh, (e) the Pergau dam in Malaysia and (f) the Samanalawewa dam in Sri Lanka ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Goodlad [holding answer 28 February 1994] : Under ODA guidelines we appraise and monitor the technical soundness of projects-- including their "build quality"--and, whenever appropriate, we undertake contract price investigations to ensure value for money. The following build quality and value for money assessments have been made on the projects listed :
(a) Construction at Rihand power station in India was assessed through ODA monitoring visits and reports during the successful completion of the project. Very high performance indicators for both production and on-line availability of the station indicate a good build quality. Operating costs per kilowatt hour generated by Rihand rank amongst the lowest of recently built coal fired power stations in India.
(b) and
(c) The Burri and Khartoum power stations in Sudan have been evaluated by ODA who concluded that the appropriateness of plant design was correct. There was competitive bidding for the two power stations among United Kingdom companies.
(d) The Ashuganj generating plant in Bangladesh was commissioned in 1982 following United Kingdom competitive bidding. ODA evaluated the project in 1990 and, although there were operational difficulties, the evaluation concluded that the appropriateness of plant design was broadly correct and that it had been well engineered. (
(e) The quality of the design and construction of the Pergau project in Malaysia, which is about 50 per cent. complete, is good. A comprehensive value for money check was carried out before signature of the contract.
(f) Construction of the components of the Samanalawewa dam in Sri Lanka part-funded by the United Kingdom--the engineering design, the tunnelling work, and the construction of the powerhouse--were assessed through ODA monitoring visits and regular reports from the United Kingdom contractors during the implementation of the project. Value-for-money checks were undertaken on the tenders for this work. Construction work not covered by the United Kingdom, including the dam itself, is the responsibility of the Japanese co-financiers.
TRANSPORT
M11 Link Road
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what contractual provisions apply to compensation to the contractors undertaking security work in respect of the M11 link road if the contract is cancelled.
Mr. Norris : The contract is let under the Institute of Civil Engineers conditions of contract which provide for determination. The form of contract between the main contractor and the security subcontractor is not for me to decide.
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the M11 link road contract 4 complies in every respect with the procedure previously used by his Department ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Norris : All procedures, including those to comply with EC directives, have been used by the Department to procure this work in the same way as previous contracts.
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what conditions apply to the payment of legal costs in relation to the possession of the construction sites for the M11 link road.
Mr. Norris : Each party bears its own legal costs incurred in the pursuance of court orders unless the court makes an order as to costs or legal aid is available.
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what conditions applied to the payment of security guards and policing of the construction site in respect of the M11 link road contract 4.
Mr. Norris : The contract provides for specific security measures which are included in the contract price and also for extraordinary security measures to be charged against a contingency item in the contract where the engineer considers it appropriate.
Oil Wastes (Ships)
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the capacity required for the receipt and storage of oil wastes for ships at each United Kingdom port.
Mr. Norris : The Prevention of Pollution (Reception Facilities) Order 1984--SI 1984-862--requires harbour authorities and terminal operators in the United Kingdom to provide oil reception facilities for ships that are adequate to meet their needs without causing undue delay. Advice and guidance on the assessment of the type and capacity of facilities needed to satisfy the provisions of the order are contained in merchant shipping notice No. M1462.
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the capacity of facilities at each United Kingdom port for the storage of oily wastes from ships.
Mr. Norris : Information on oil reception facilities in United Kingdom ports, collected by the Department of Transport, is contained in the International Maritime Organisation circular MEPC/Circ.234, copies of which have been placed in the Library.
Northern Line
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received concerning the refurbishment of trains, track and signalling on the Northern line ; and what meetings he has had with London Transport on this.
Mr. Norris : I have received representations on this matter from a wide range of interests, including manufacturers, Members of Parliament, and members of the public. I have discussed it on a number of occasions with the chairman of London Transport.
Transport Links (Ireland)
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to undertake a study of combined transport links with Ireland ; whether local authorities are to be consulted ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Freeman : The Irish and United Kingdom Governments have jointly appointed Mercer Management Consulting Ltd., in association with Indecon International Economic Consultants, to examine the potential for commercially viable combined transport services between Ireland, the United Kingdom and mainland Europe, as part of the EC Commission's PACT--pilot actions for combined transport--initiative. A number of local authorities have expressed an interest in the study and the consultants will be approaching them in due course.
Freephone and Freepost
Mr. Donohoe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the use of freephone and freepost facilities currently being operated by his Department ; how much these facilities are costing ; for what purposes these facilities are being used ; and how much his Department has spent on operating freephone and freepost facilities in each financial year since 1979.
Mr. Norris : My Department does not keep a central record of the use made of freephone and freepost services and could not say what use might have been made of these services in the past. From inquiries made within the Department we have not been able to trace any use of the services at present.
Red Routes
Mr. Barry Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which organisations are exempt from the parking restrictions imposed on red routes ; and if he will list for each organisation the reasons why.
Mr. Norris : The information is as follows :
vehicles being used for the provision of a London bus service, while waiting at an authorised stopping place or stand ;
vehicles displaying a current disabled person's badge, when stopping for the purpose of enabling people with disabilities to board or alight from the vehicle ;
Royal Mail liveried vehicles engaged in the collection or delivery of letters in accordance with the statutory duty of the Post Office for the provision of services for the conveyance of letters ; licensed cabs stopping for the purpose of enabling a person to board or alight from the vehicle or to load or unload their personal luggage ;
vehicles waiting at any place for so long as may be necessary for the purpose of giving help required as a result of an accident or emergency or taking other action in the interests of public safety ; vehicles required by law to stop, or obliged to stop in order to avoid an accident, or prevented from proceeding by circumstances beyond the driver's control ;
vehicles when used for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes ;
vehicles waiting with the permission or at the discretion of a police constable in uniform.
Mr. Barry Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the definitions of loading and unloading for vehicles using the prescribed loading bays on red routes.
Mr. Norris : Loading and unloading is not defined in any statute ; it would be for the courts to determine any disputed cases.
Mr. Barry Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration his Department has given to the impact red routes will have on courier companies and the businesses they serve.
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Mr. Norris : Red routes will improve traffic conditions for all road users so that people and goods can move around the capital more easily. Courier firms and the businesses they serve will benefit from more reliable journey times and improved parking and loading arrangements on London's main roads.
British Rail
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to lay before the House orders affecting railway pensions as provided for by the Railways Act 1993.
Mr. Freeman : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State intends to lay these orders between Easter and the
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summer recess, following consultation with the pension scheme trustees and other interested parties, including the railway trade unions.Infrastructure Investment
Mr. Harvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give a breakdown by mode, year on year, of Government investment in Britain's transport infrastructure for the period 1979 to 1995.
Mr. MacGregor : Government transport expenditure plans have enabled investment shown in the table. The latest expenditure plans were published on 10 March in the "Transport Report 1994", Cmnd. 2506.
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£ million cash
Nationalised National Central
industries Government support
to local authority
roads capital
expenditure
(England)<3>
|British |London |Civil |England
|Rail<1> |Transport<2>|Aviation |Total |of which:
|Authority
|Local |Local public|Local ports
|roads |transport |and airports
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Outturn
1979-80 |367 |- |12 |402 |- |- |- |-
1980-81 |431 |- |23 |472 |- |- |- |-
1981-82 |409 |- |24 |557 |- |- |- |-
1982-83 |378 |- |26 |762 |- |- |- |-
1983-84 |439 |- |20 |641 |- |- |- |-
1984-85 |586 |- |19 |718 |- |- |- |-
1985-86 |550 |- |19 |734 |- |- |- |-
1986-87 |530 |225 |30 |766 |- |- |- |-
1987-88 |631 |233 |33 |867 |596 |476 |90 |30
1988-89 |695 |270 |35 |889 |672 |584 |52 |36
1989-90 |889 |350 |54 |1,239 |627 |518 |70 |39
1990-91 |1,022 |495 |74 |1,668 |747 |563 |113 |71
1991-92 |1,293 |420 |88 |1,704 |916 |715 |106 |97
1992-93 |1,573 |782 |119 |1,784 |1,022 |838 |102 |81
1993-94<4> |1,207 |736 |156 |1,920 |1,101 |967 |114 |20
Plans
1994-95 |- |997 |120 |1,829 |978 |857 |109 |11
1995-96 |- |1,022 |86 |1,779 |1,041 |918 |111 |12
<1> Individual figures for 1994-95 and 1995-96 not available, but in the three year period 1994-95 to 1996-97 total investment
will be around £2.7 billion.
<2> Prior to 1986-87, the Greater London council was responsible for London Transport.
<3> Figures not available on a comparable basis prior to 1987-88.
<4> Forecast outturn.
Supplementary Grant and Expenditure
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list for each metropolitan borough council in (a) South Yorkshire (b) West Yorkshire a summary of the transport supplementary grant made available for each of the past four years, broken down into (i) committed major scheme (gross), (ii) newly supported major schemes, (iii) bridge works, (iv) principal roads carriageways, (v) local safety silencers, (vi) packages, (vii) schemes specific, including bus priority, (viii) bus priority alone, (ix) minor works, (x) European regional development fund schemes and (xi) Industrial Development Act schemes ;
(2) if he will list for (a) Humberside (b) North Yorkshire a summary of the transport supplementary grant made available for each of the past four years, broken down into (i) committed major scheme (gross), (ii) newly supported major schemes, (iii) bridge works, (iv) principal roads carriageways, (v) local safety silencers, (vi) packages, (vii) schemes specific, including bus priority, (viii) bus priority
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alone, (ix) minor works, (x) European regional development fund schemes and (xi) Industrial Development Act schemes ;(3) if he will list for each metropolitan borough council in (a) South Yorkshire (b) West Yorkshire a summary of the transport capital expenditure for local authorities for each of the past four years, broken down into (i) committed major scheme (gross), (ii) newly supported major schemes, (iii) bridge works, (iv) principal roads carriageways, (v) local safety silencers, (vi) packages, (vii) schemes specific, including bus priority, (viii) bus priority alone, (ix) minor works, (x) European regional development fund schemes and (xi) Industrial Development Act schemes ;
(4) if he will list for (a) Humberside (b) North Yorkshire a summary of the transport capital expenditure settlement for local authorities for each of the past four years, broken down into (i) committed major scheme (gross), (ii) newly supported major schemes, (iii) bridge works, (iv) principal roads carriageways, (v) local safety silencers, (vi) packages, (vii) schemes specific, including bus priority,
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(viii) bus priority alone, (ix) minor works, (x) European regional development fund schemes and (xi) Industrial Development Act schemes.Mr. Key : I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library.
PRIME MINISTER
Public Interest Immunity Certificates
Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister if he will bring forward legislation to bring public interest immunity certificates within statute law and parliamentary scrutiny.
The Prime Minister : The Government will consider carefully any comments or recommendations Lord Justice Scott makes on this issue when his report is completed.
Engagements
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 10 March.
Sir Peter Tapsell : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 10 March.
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.
Sir Peter Levene
Dame Angela Rumbold : To ask the Prime Minister what arrangements have been made to ensure that there is no conflict of interest between Sir Peter Levene's appointment as chairman of Canary Wharf and his position as the Prime Minister's efficiency adviser.
The Prime Minister : Sir Peter Levene will take no part in Government consideration of any issue which could involve a conflict of interest for him. There will be a review every six months of any prospective issues which could raise such a conflict so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
Official Gifts
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 22 February, Official Report, column 162 , what happens to moneys raised from the sale of official gifts received by recent Prime Ministers.
The Prime Minister [holding answer 9 March 1994] : Gifts of small value are the property of the Prime Minister ; the use of the proceeds from the sale of any such items is therefore a matter for the Prime Minister of the day to determine. Both my predecessor and I have made it our practice to donate all proceeds to charity. If any gifts from the official inventory were sold, the proceeds would accrue to official funds.
Office Costs
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Prime Minister what was the annual total cost of the Prime Minister's office in each year (a) between 1974 and 1979 and (b) since 1990.
The Prime Minister [holding answer 11 January 1994] : Figures on a consistent basis are not available.
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Information on the total costs of the Prime Minister's office is not available before 1979-80. Spending in 1979-80 is recorded as £1.409 million, but that did not include charges for : the use of MOD aircraft ; the use of buildings and for services supplied by the Property Services Agency and its successors ; the use of the Government car service ; the service personnel at Chequers ; or for office services supplied by the Cabinet Office.The present No. 10 budget now includes charges for all these services. On that basis, the total annual cost for the completed financial years since 1990 has been as follows :
Year |£ thousands ------------------------------------ 1990-91 |8,226 1991-92 |8,664 1992-93 |9,866
These figures show payments made in the years in question. In some cases, this may relate to expenditure incurred in the previous financial year.
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Prime Minister when the hon. Member for Walsall, North will receive a reply to his question of 11 January, relating to expenditure of his Office.
The Prime Minister [holding answer 8 March 1994] : I have done so.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Invalidity Benefit
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the flexibility of the limits on therapeutic work for recipients of invalidity benefit.
Mr. Scott : We are considering the flexibility of the therapeutic work provisions in the context of the conditions which will apply to incapacity benefit.
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