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(4) what organisations will be consulted by the board of the World bank before it reaches a final decision on implementing the recommendations of the bank's inspection panel on the Arun III.Mr. Baldry: The board as such does not normally consult outside organisations, but will want to be assured that the borrower and the bank have consulted fully, in accordance with bank policies and procedures. Individual members of the board will have their own arrangements for consultation. We have received views from a number of organisations, notably the Intermediate Technology Development Group, on the proposed project and have encouraged the bank to consult widely with informed groups, particularly those active in Nepal. We shall take account of these views when considering the proposed project and in relation to the report of the inspection panel.
Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the minimum projected rate of return on the Arun III project which would be required for the United Kingdom to support this project.
Mr. Baldry: As a minimum, we would expect the economic rate of return to exceed the opportunity cost of capital of 10 per cent. used for this project.
Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's current policy towards the Arun III project in Nepal.
Mr. Baldry: The Arun project raises complex economic, environmental, social and institutional issues. Debate on these issues is continuing, especially given the new Government's desire to take stock of the project; and the independent inspection panel's report.
World Bank Inspection Panel
Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the initial work of the inspection panel of the World bank.
Mr. Baldry: The inspection panel became operational only in August 1994, and to date has received only one request for inspection. It is too soon to draw conclusions about its effectiveness.
Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the United Kingdom executive director of the World bank attended the recent informal briefing with members of the inspection panel of the World bank.
Somali Refugee Camp
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what visits have been made to refugee camps containing Somali people and in which countries; and what view Her Majesty's Government have formed of the conditions there.
Mr. Baldry: United Kingdom officials visited Somali refugee camps in Kenya in September 1994 and in Ethiopia in December 1994. The condition of refugees in Kenya is generally stable; that of Somali refugees in Ethiopia is more variable, with some groups remaining vulnerable to food and medical shortages. We have
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provided over £11 million since 1991 to help refugees in Kenya and Ethiopia, most of whom are Somalis.TRANSPORT
Nuclear Waste Shipments
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will seek an urgent meeting with the EU Transport Commissioner to discuss the safety arrangements under Council directive 92/3Euratom of 3 February 1992 on the supervision and control of shipments of radioactive waste into and out of the European Community, as they apply to the imminent shipment of radioactive waste from La Hague in France.
Mr. Atkins: I have been asked to reply.
No. Council directive 92/3/Euratom sets out provisions for the authorisation of shipments of radioactive waste, into and out of the European Union and between member states, by the competent authorities of the country of origin. Authorisation of the shipment referred to is a matter for the French competent authority.
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from the Channel Islands in regard to the forthcoming sea shipment of high-level nuclear waste from La Hague in France to Japan.
Executive Search Agencies
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 19 December, Official Report , column 880 , which posts were filled as a result of the employment of executive search agencies; which executive search companies were involved in this exercise; and what were the values of the individual contracts involved.
Mr. Norris: The two posts filled with the help of executive search agencies were:
1. The Highways Agency chief executive. Korn Ferry
International
assisted in carrying out the search and selection: the cost was £23,500.
2. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency chief executive. Saxon Bampfylde International plc carried out the search and administration; the cost was £31,800.
Aircraft Noise
Mr. Pawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what jurisdiction local authorities have over noise made by aircraft while on the ground.
Mr. Norris: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 24 January, Official Report, column 110 , by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside.
Civil Servants
Mr. McAllion: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion and number of non-industrial civil servants in the departments and agencies for which he has responsibility are registered disabled and disabled as defined by the Cabinet Office document "Focus on Ability".
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Mr. Norris: As of 1 July 1994, 181 Department of Transport staff were known to be registered as disabled. This is 1.4 per cent. of the total staff--12,929. In addition, 134 DOT members of staff have responded to questionnaires and declared themselves to have a disability which is not registered. This is 1 per cent. of the total staff.
Coventry Airport
Mr. Pawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 24 January, Official Report , column 98 , what local authorities, including parish councils, have contacted him about noise and nuisance at Coventry airport in the last 12 months; how many of the complaints relate to (a) day and (b) night flights; how many complaints there were in each of the previous five years; and if he will divide them into complaints about (i) day and (ii) night flights and list the local authorities involved.
Mr. Norris: Of the 14 representations mentioned in my answer of 24 January, 11 related to noise generally at Coventry airport, of which four also made specific reference to night flights. The remaining three representations concerned night flights alone.
The number of complaints received in each year since 1992 is as follows:
|Total |General |Day |Night
|complaints|noise |flights |flights
------------------------------------------------------------------
1992 |3 |1 |1 |2
1993 |5 |3 |0 |3
1994 |14 |11 |0 |7
Some complaints covered more than one topic. Information for earlier years can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. In addition, since January 1990 my Department has had one contact from a local authority about noise and nuisance at Coventry airport. This took the form of a meeting in July 1994 between the Minister for Aviation and Shipping and a delegation from Warwick district council led by my hon. Friend himself. At this meeting the subject of aircraft noise at Coventry airport was discussed generally, but with a particular focus on ground noise and night flights.
Lobbying Organisations
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a list of all those who were received by him, his fellow Ministers or senior officials in the past six months, indicating which ones were representatives of lobbying organisations.
Dr. Mawhinney: No; it is not our practice to do so.
Coaches
Mr. Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people have died in coaches
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crashing in the right-hand lane of carriageways with more than two lanes, in each of the last five years.Mr. Norris: The information requested is not available.
Stafford's Railway Bridge
Mr. Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what additional safety measures have been undertaken in the past 12 months on the Stafford's railway bridge in Exeter.
Mr. Watts: Railtrack has informed me that, between November 1993 and February 1994, additional bracings were installed between the piers and the upstream side of the main girders of the Stafford's railway bridge to increase its lateral stability. I understand that the work undertaken allows the bridge to remain open longer during periods when the River Exe is in flood.
Mayday Call (Olympic Airways)
Mr. MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what circumstances caused the Mayday call of Olympic Airways Boeing 737 Flight 265 from Athens on 17 January; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris: Olympic Airways Flight OA265 on 17 January 1995 was inbound from Athens to London Heathrow at a time air traffic control was advising all aircraft of 40-minute delays in landing. When given the delay, OA265, then holding in a "stack" at flight level 180, requested an earlier approach, stating engine de-icing problems. Air traffic control advised that a priority approach could be given only if the aircraft declared an emergency.
The pilot promptly made a "mayday" call, which is a distress emergency call to signify that an aircraft is threatened by grave and imminent danger and requests immediate assistance. This is for the captain to judge. However, there seems some doubt about the seriousness of the situation in this case: for example, there is no evidence that one engine had been shut down, as was reported in the press.
ATC offered the captain an immediate diversion to Gatwick airport, which he declined. Accordingly, the aircraft was then cleared for a direct approach to Heathrow airport, which instigated full emergency procedures. The aircraft landed safely and a subsequent examination apparently revealed no damage or technical malfunction.
The Civil Aviation Authority's safety data units received notification of the incident as an ATC occurrence report. Details of the incident have been passed to its flight operations policy department for consideration of any possible subsequent action by the authority.
Heathrow
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the districts of Greater London over which aircraft normally fly while making their final descent into Heathrow airport; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Norris: The London Boroughs normally overflown are: Wandsworth, Richmond, Hammersmith and Fulham, Spelthorne, Hillingdon and Hounslow. In addition, aircraft skirt the southernmost boundary of Kensington and Chelsea.
Mr.Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information his Department now has as to the statistical analysis for a major crash on Greater London by an aircraft using Heathrow airport; and when such an incident last occurred.
Mr. Norris: The statistical analysis available to the Department is derived from worldwide accident data and is not specific to individual airports. The last major crash of an aircraft using Heathrow airport occurred near Staines in 1972.
Aircraft (City Approaches)
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport at which cities in Europe and north America, other than Greater London, airliners routinely fly over more than 15 miles of the city during an airliner's final approach to landing at the normal airport destination; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris: The information requested is not available.
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Oxygenated Petrol
Mr. Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has carried out into oxygenated petrol; what plans for research into the environmental suitability of oxygenated petrol he has; and if he will make a statement.
Dr. Mawhinney: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 26 January 1995, Official Report , column 367 .
Fishing Vessels (Medical Supplies)
Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from fishermen's organisations about regulations governing the carriage of medical supplies on fishing vessels.
Mr. Norris [holding answer 26 January 1995]: Ministers have received 28 representations from fishermen's organisations via hon. Members about the regulations governing the carriage of medical supplies on fishing vessels. Of these, 22 have come from the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations, one from the Leigh and Southend Joint Fishermen's Association and one from the Fleetwood Fishermen's Association. Direct representations to the Department have also been received from the NFFO, the Scottish Fishermen's Federation and the Southern Sea Fishermen's Council.
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NORTHERN IRELAND
Birth Control
Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what specialist provision exists in Northern Ireland to offer contraception advice and counselling to young people; and what plans he has to extend these provisions following the findings of the recent study of the director of public health into the eastern health and social services board on abortions and contraception.
Mr. Moss: Family planning services are available to young people in Northern Ireland through family planning clinics, general medical practitioners and voluntary agencies. The provision of these services is a matter for health and social services boards to determine in the light of local needs and priorities. I understand that the Eastern health and social services board proposes to target family planning services on areas of social deprivation and high teenage pregnancy.
Atmospheric Pollution
Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to change existing policy on atmospheric pollution in Northern Ireland following the recent Eastern health and social services report on the link between atmospheric pollution and the incidence of lung cancer.
Mr. Moss: In his fifth annual report, the director of public health for the Eastern health and social services suggested that a link may exist between atmospheric pollution and the incidence of lung cancer in certain parts of Northern Ireland, particularly in the Belfast area and that atmospheric pollution may be one of several environmental factors linked to the causation of disease. It presented no specific evidence however to show that such a link exists.
The Government have made a firm commitment to ensure that statutory air quality standards set to protect public health are achieved and maintained throughout Northern Ireland. They also have an on-going programme of major initiatives designed to improve air quality and inform the public when conditions are such that those at greatest risk are made aware of the situation.
Last week, a joint statement was issued by the Secretaries of State for Transport and for the Environment setting out proposals for a new air quality management strategy for the United Kingdom taking account of the nine most significant pollutants. Northern Ireland has been consulted and will be fully involved in the evaluation and implementation of initiatives flowing from the strategy.
Queen's University
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total public funding for the Queen's university of Belfast in each of the past five years.
Mr. Ancram: The information is as follows:
Academic year |£ million ------------------------------------------ 1989-90 |56,126 1990-91 |65,152 1991-92 |67,177 1992-93 |72,404 1993-94 |78,078
Schools
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the average number of parents in attendance at the annual meetings of parents held in 1993 and 1994 in (a) controlled primary schools, (b) controlled secondary schools, (c) controlled grammar schools and (d) maintained schools in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Ancram: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Murders, Londonderry, East
Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many murders against (a) civilians and (b) members of the security forces were committed in the Londonderry, East constituency and on what dates in each of the last five years; and in how many cases (i) charges have been brought and (ii) convictions have resulted.
Sir John Wheeler [holding answer 26 January 1995]: The information requested is as follows:
Murders in East Londonderry constituency
|Civilian/security
1990 |forces |Location
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 December |Civilian |Kilrea
To date no one has been charged or convicted for this murder.
|Civilian/security
1991 |forces |Location
------------------------------------------------------------------------
16 August |Civilian |Kilrea
25 August |Civilian |Coleraine
30 August |Civilian |Coleraine
16 September |Civilian |Magherafelt
17 September |Security Forces |Maghera
6 November |Security Forces |Bellaghy
One person has been charged with murder but convicted of manslaughter
for the incident on 25 August. One person has been charged and
convicted of the murder on 30 August.
|Civilian/security
1992 |forces |Location
------------------------------------------------------------------------
3 March |Civilian |Greysteel
2 April |Civilian |Kilrea
30 July |Civilian |Castledawson
One person has been charged with murder but convicted of manslaughter
for the incident on 3 March. One person has been convicted of actual
bodily harm for the death which resulted from the incident on 30 July.
|Civilian/security
1993 |forces |Location
------------------------------------------------------------------------
25 March |4 civilians |Castlerock
30 October |7 civilians |Greysteel
Four persons have been charged with the eight murders at Greysteel. One
person has been charged with the murders at Castlerock.
|Civilian/security
1994 |forces |Location
------------------------------------------------------------------------
14 April |Civilian |Greysteel
24 April |2 civilians |Garvagh
12 July |Civilian |Coleraine
One person has been charged with the murders on 24 April. One person
has been charged with the murder on 12 July.
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Judiciary (Secret Societies)
44. Mr. Mullin: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to require members of the judiciary to declare membership of secret societies; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John M. Taylor: The Lord Chancellor has no such plans.
Transsexuals (Marriage)
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what plans he has to recognise British post- operative transsexuals who marry legally abroad as being married in their acquired gender; and if he will make a statement; (2) if post-operative transsexuals who have married under New Zealand law will be recognised as married under British law; and if will make a statement.
Mr. John M. Taylor: The position in the law of England and Wales is that a marriage to which parties are not respectively male and female is void. What sex a person has for this purpose is a question of fact, but the present legal position is that the biological criteria for determining sex are established at birth. The Government have no plans to change the law.
Custody
Mrs. Golding: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many times the Official Solicitor recommended that the children that he is acting on behalf of are given into the custody of (a) the mother, (b) the father or (c) the local authority in the last year for which figures are available.
Mr. John. M. Taylor: This information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Automatic Party Status (Divorce Proceedings)
Mrs. Golding: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proposals he has to give children automatic party status in divorce proceedings.
Mr. John M. Taylor: The Lord Chancellor has no such proposals.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Mutual Defence Agreement
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his
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answer of 20 January, Official Report , columns 740 41 , if there are any further amendments to the 1958 United States-United Kingdom mutual defence agreement, which are still in force at the present time, made prior to 1965.Mr. Douglas Hogg: The 1958 US-UK mutual defence agreement was also amended in 1959.
Mrs. Shazia Noreen
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when is a decision to be taken by the United Kingdom post in Islamabad on the application of Mrs. Shazia Noreen, ref: IMM/C5048, to join her husband in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Baldry: I have asked the entry clearance officer in Islamabad to let me have a report on the application by Mrs. Shazia Noreen. I shall arrange for the hon. Member to receive a substantive reply from the migration and visa correspondence unit of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as soon as possible.
Rwanda
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government have taken to press through the appropriate United Nations authorities to establish whether the Rwandan nationals accused of the murder of their countrymen and countrywomen have been brought to justice.
Mr. Ethrington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the United Nations to assist the Rwandan authorities to indict those who are responsible for the murder of Tutsis.
Mr. Douglas Hogg: The United Kingdom was a co-sponsor of UN Security Council resolution 955 of 8 November 1994 which established an international criminal tribunal for Rwanda.
In addition, the UN has drawn up a plan to help reconstruct the Rwandan judicial system.
World Summit for Social Development
Miss Lestor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what documents have been published by his Department in preparation for the world summit for social development in Copenhagen in March.
Mr. Douglas Hogg: We will be issuing an information brief on the world social summit in early February.
Miss Lestor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what follow-up mechanisms he favours in order to ensure that commitments given by member states at the world summit for social development are adhered to.
Mr. Douglas Hogg: The summit documentation makes clear that follow- up at the national level will be the responsibility of national Governments. The UK is already addressing most of the issues that the summit will cover. We will note carefully any further action required and will seek to implement it through existing mechanisms.
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what will be the composition of the United Kingdom delegation to the UN social summit in Copenhagen in March.
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Mr. Douglas Hogg: A final decision on attendance at the summit will be made nearer the date.
Miss Lestor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who will be representing his Department at the world summit for social development in Copenhagen in March.
Mr. Douglas Hogg: A final decision on attendance at the summit will be made nearer the date.
Miss Lestor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultation his Department has undertaken with non-governmental organisations regarding the draft plan of action for the world summit for social development.
Mr. Douglas Hogg: Information about the summit has been disseminated to over 200 contacts from a wide range of organisations in the United Kingdom. Of those who wish to be involved, some are in direct contact with the Government; others are in touch with a central contact point in UNED- UK, the United Kingdom branch of the United Nations environment and development non-governmental organisation, which we are funding specifically to disseminate information about the summit and to ensure any NGO with an interest in the summit's issues can make its voice heard. We welcome their interest and involvement and will remain in close touch with United Kingdom NGOs during the preparatory process and at Copenhagen itself.
Disabled People
Mr. McAllion: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion and number of non-industrial civil servants in the Departments and agencies for which he has responsibility are registered disabled and disabled as defined by the Cabinet Office document, "Focus on Ability".
Mr. Goodlad: On 1 July 1994, the number of non-industrial civil servants employed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, including the Overseas Development Administration and its agency, who were registered disabled was 52, representing 0.67 per cent. of the whole. Figures for the number and proportion of non-registered disabled staff are not available.
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