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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 1 February 1995
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Special Advisers
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the severance payments made to special advisers in each of the last five years indicating (a) the amount and (b) the date.
Mr. John M. Taylor: The Lord Chancellor's Department has not employed any special advisers during the last five years.
Legal Aid
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what has been the total sum paid in legal aid for Mr. Jawad Hashim in connection with legal action between him and the Arab monetary fund.
Mr. John M. Taylor: A total of £2.8 million has been paid on account to lawyers representing Dr. Hashim. However, the principal legal aid certificate issued in respect of proceedings between Dr. Hashim and the Arab monetary fund has been revoked pending an appeal against revocation by Dr. Hashim. If the decision to revoke is upheld Dr. Hashim will be deemed never to have been legally aided, in which case the Legal Aid Board would be entitled to recover its costs from Dr. Hashim. The final cost of the case to the legal aid fund will depend on the outcome of the appeal and, if appropriate, any legal aid costs would be subject to taxation by the court.
TREASURY
Disabled People
Mr. McAllion: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 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. Nelson: At 1 July 1994 the number of registered disabled people employed in the Chancellor's departments and agencies was 1, 686, representing 1.8 per cent. of total staff. Figures for the number and proportion of all disabled people employed in the Chancellor's departments and agencies are not available, but surveys carried out by some of the Chancellor's departments and agencies suggest that there may be as many non -registered disabled people as there are registered.
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Advertisements
Ms Corston: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions and in what circumstances in the last five years advertisements have been placed in newspapers or periodicals which have been described as being issued by or on behalf of Ministers in his Department rather than on behalf of Her Majesty's Government.
Standard Chartered Bank
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has met the Governor of the Bank of England to discuss the activities of Standard Chartered bank.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke: I meet the Governor of the Bank of England regularly, and a wide range of issues is discussed.
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met the chairman of Standard Chartered bank.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke: I cannot recall and I have no record of meeting the current chairman of Standard Chartered bank, or his predecessor, since my appointment as Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has called for a report from the Governor of the Bank of England on Standard Chartered bank's involvement in India.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke: I receive regular reports from the Bank of England on a range of issues.
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what improvements he is to make to banking supervision following the involvement of Standard Chartered bank in India.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke: None. The Banking Acts already give the Bank of England the powers it needs to supervise the world-wide operations of United Kingdom authorised institutions.
Budget Report
Mr. Matthew Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will revise the tables in the 1995 96 "Financial Statement and Budget Report" to take account of the measures he announced on 8 December.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke: Copies of a document which contains a full set of revised tables, corresponding to those in the "Financial Statement and Budget Report 1995 96", are available today from the Vote Office.
Taxes
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer on 19 December, Official Report , column 944 , if he will now show the figures for indirect taxes, broken down into (a) VAT and (b) other indirect taxes; and when figures for council tax will be available.
Sir George Young [holding answer 25 January 1995]: The breakdown requested is in the table. Figures for council tax on a similar basis to those provided for other taxes will need to be estimated from family expenditure
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survey data on actual council tax payments. At present we have figures only for such payments for the first nine months of its operation after April 1993. We need to investigate further to see whether this provides data of sufficient quantity and quality to enable reliable estimates to be made. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as I have further information on when these figures might be available.
Indirect taxes at multiples of average earnings
1993-94<1>
Percentages of
average
male earnings
|75 |100 |150
-------------------------------------------------------
Single
Amounts, £ per week
Gross income |269.33|359.10|538.65
VAT |14.81 |19.77 |30.37
Other indirect taxes |19.56 |24.10 |33.80
Total indirect taxes |34.37 |43.86 |64.17
Percentage of earnings
VAT |5.5 |5.5 |5.6
Other indirect taxes |7.3 |6.7 |6.3
Total indirect taxes |12.8 |12.2 |11.9
Married, no children
Amounts, £ per week
Gross income |269.33|359.10|538.65
VAT |13.57 |18.98 |30.75
Other indirect taxes |21.93 |26.55 |36.62
Total indirect taxes |35.50 |45.52 |67.37
Percentage of earnings
VAT |5.0 |5.3 |5.7
Other indirect taxes |8.1 |7.4 |6.8
Total indirect taxes |13.2 |12.7 |12.5
Married, two children
Amounts, £ per week
Gross income |269.33|359.10|538.65
VAT |13.44 |19.56 |32.89
Other indirect taxes |21.71 |25.38 |33.39
Total indirect taxes |35.15 |44.94 |66.28
Percentage of earnings
VAT |5.0 |5.4 |6.1
Other indirect taxes |8.1 |7.1 |6.2
Total indirect taxes |13.1 |12.5 |12.3
Married, two earners, no
children: Earnings split
60:40
Amounts, £ per week
Gross income |269.33|359.10|538.65
VAT |15.64 |21.53 |33.25
Other indirect taxes |25.46 |29.47 |37.43
Total indirect taxes |41.10 |51.00 |70.68
Percentage of earnings
VAT |5.8 |6.0 |6.2
Other indirect taxes |9.5 |8.2 |6.9
Total indirect taxes |15.3 |14.2 |13.1
<1> Figures for indirect taxes are only shown for a
narrow earnings range because the margin of error
outside this range is too high to produce even
illustrative estimates using the methods outlined in
the notes below. Spending patterns vary widely between
households with the same income and composition and
all figures shown for indirect taxes are very
approximate.
Indirect taxes at multiples of average earnings
1994-95<1>
Percentages of
average
male earnings
|75 |100 |150
-------------------------------------------------------
Single
Amounts, £ per week
Gross income |278.78|371.70|557.55
VAT |16.40 |21.70 |32.97
Other indirect taxes |20.49 |25.26 |35.39
Total indirect taxes |36.89 |46.96 |68.35
Percentage of earnings
VAT |5.9 |5.8 |5.9
Other indirect taxes |7.4 |6.8 |6.3
Total indirect taxes |13.2 |12.6 |12.3
Married, no children
Amounts, £ per week
Gross income |278.78|371.70|557.55
VAT |15.04 |20.79 |32.99
Other indirect taxes |22.77 |27.63 |37.92
Total indirect taxes |37.81 |48.41 |70.91
Percentage of earnings
VAT |5.4 |5.6 |5.9
Other indirect taxes |8.2 |7.4 |6.8
Total indirect taxes |13.6 |13.0 |12.7
Married, two children
Amounts, £ per week
Gross income |278.78|371.70|557.55
VAT |14.89 |21.43 |35.32
Other indirect taxes |22.63 |26.51 |34.74
Total indirect taxes |37.52 |47.94 |70.06
Percentage of earnings
VAT |5.3 |5.8 |6.3
Other indirect taxes |8.1 |7.1 |6.2
Total indirect taxes |13.5 |12.9 |12.6
Married, two earners, no
children: Earnings split
60:40
Amounts, £ per week
Gross income |278.78|371.70|557.55
VAT |17.19 |23.49 |35.97
Other indirect taxes |26.67 |30.88 |39.19
Total indirect taxes |43.86 |54.37 |75.16
Percentage of earnings
VAT |6.2 |6.3 |6.5
Other indirect taxes |9.6 |8.3 |7.0
Total indirect taxes |15.7 |14.6 |13.5
<1> Figures for indirect taxes are only shown for a
narrow earnings range because the margin of error
outside this range is too high to produce even
illustrative estimates using the methods outlined in
the notes below. Spending patterns vary widely between
households with the same income and composition and
all figures shown for indirect taxes are very
approximate.
Indirect taxes at multiples of average earnings
1995-96<1>
Percentages of
average
male earnings
|75 |100 |150
-------------------------------------------------------
Single
Amounts, £ per week
Gross income |291.30|388.40|582.60
VAT |17.55 |23.26 |35.33
Other indirect taxes |21.74 |26.86 |37.65
Total indirect taxes |39.29 |50.12 |72.98
Percentage of earnings
VAT |6.0 |6.0 |6.1
Other indirect taxes |7.5 |6.9 |6.5
Total indirect taxes |13.5 |12.9 |12.5
Married, no children
Amounts, £ per week
Gross income |291.30|388.40|582.60
VAT |15.84 |22.03 |35.12
Other indirect taxes |23.96 |29.14 |40.11
Total indirect taxes |39.80 |51.18 |75.23
Percentage of earnings
VAT |5.4 |5.7 |6.0
Other indirect taxes |8.2 |7.5 |6.9
Total indirect taxes |13.7 |13.2 |12.9
Married, two children
Amounts, £ per week
Gross income |291.30|388.40|582.60
VAT |15.55 |22.59 |37.47
Other indirect taxes |23.88 |28.07 |36.91
Total indirect taxes |39.43 |50.66 |74.38
Percentage of earnings
VAT |5.3 |5.8 |6.4
Other indirect taxes |8.2 |7.2 |6.3
Total indirect taxes |13.5 |13.0 |12.8
Married, two earners, no
children: Earnings split
60:40
Amounts, £ per week
Gross income |291.30|388.40|582.60
VAT |18.08 |24.87 |38.31
Other indirect taxes |28.20 |32.69 |41.58
Total indirect taxes |46.29 |57.56 |79.88
Percentage of earnings
VAT |6.2 |6.4 |6.6
Other indirect taxes |9.7 |8.4 |7.1
Total indirect taxes |15.9 |14.8 |13.7
<1> Figures for indirect taxes are only shown for a
narrow earnings range because the margin of error
outside this range is too high to produce even
illustrative estimates using the methods outlined in
the notes below. Spending patterns vary widely between
households with the same income and composition and
all figures shown for indirect taxes are very
approximate.
Notes to tables:
1. Earnings are taken to be the average gross weekly
earnings of all full-time males on adult rates with
pay unaffected by absence. Estimates of earnings in
1994-95 and 1995-96 are based on earnings growth
assumptions of 3" per cent. in 1994-95 and 4" per
cent. in 1995-96.
2. The estimates of indirect taxes shown exclude
council tax, but include estimates of the impact of
intermediate taxes on households as well as taxes on
final goods and services. Estimates of the impact of
taxes on final goods and services assume that these
taxes are fully incident on households. Estimates of
the impact of intermediate taxes are based on the
relation between intermediate production costs and
final consumption derived using input-output
techniques.
3. Estimates for most indirect taxes are based on
equations derived from the 1985 family expenditure
survey uprated to later years using forecasts of
aggregate tax receipts. Estimates of VAT on domestic
fuel and power, airline passenger duty and insurance
premium tax are based on equations using results from
the 1991 and 1992 family expenditure surveys uprated
using a similar methodology. All estimates are based
on the illustrative assumption that 10 per cent. of
disposable income is saved.
4. Estimates of indirect taxes are very approximate
because spending patterns vary widely between
households with the same composition and income. The
margin of error is even higher outside
the range of earnings shown, and even illustrative
estimates cannot be made. Because of sampling
variation, there can be substantial differences
between estimates obtained from family expenditure
surveys for different years.
5. Net disposable income after income tax and national
insurance is calculated on the assumption that the
household receives no tax reliefs other than the
standard allowances and only have income from
employment. All earners, including wives, are assumed
to pay class 1 NI contributions at the contracted-in
rate. Child benefit is treated as a negative income
tax in order to provide comparability with support
given through child tax allowances.
Special Advisers
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when severance pay for special advisers was introduced; for what reasons; and what are the terms of the scheme.
Sir George Young [holding answer 31 January 1995]: Severance pay for special advisers was introduced in 1977. Under current arrangements, advisers are eligible for severance payments when their appointments are terminated automatically with the end of an administration, or on the day after polling day in a general election, or when the appointing Minister leaves his or her appointment. Where an adviser is reappointed immediately after one of those occurrences, no payment is made. Similarly, if an adviser is reappointed following a break of service, the adviser may be required to pay back a proportion of any severance payment received. Severance payments, subject to tax and national insurance, are made in accordance with the scale in the table.
Number of months
pay in lieu of
notice for those
aged:
|35 and
Years of service |Under 34 |34 |above
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Less than two |3 |3.0 |3
Two but less than three |3 |3.5 |4
Three but less than four |3 |4.0 |5
Four and over |3 |4.5 |6
All special advisers, regardless of age, are entitled to one month's severance pay if their appointment is made within six months of the latest date by which a general election must take place, or if they resign to take part in national political activities within six months of their appointment.
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Flagpole
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee why the flagpole at Westminster is not perpendicular.
Mr. Ray Powell: I have no reason to believe that the flagpole is not perpendicular.
Private Dining Facilities
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Chairman of the Catering Committee, pursuant to his answer of 1 December, Official Report , column 804 , when he expects the Catering Committee to conclude its review of private dining facilities; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Colin Shepherd: The Catering Committee has now concluded its review of private dining facilities. In its deliberations, the Committee endorsed several general principles on the proper use of these facilities, and agreed that a reasonable degree of transparency would be appropriate in releasing statistics on bookings in response to parliamentary questions, based on those provided by the then Leader of the House on 10 November 1989.
The Committee also considered whether Members hosting a function should indicate whether they had a relevant registered interest, and agreed to a new procedure which is set out in the resolution passed on 25 January 1995, which records the Committee's conclusions and is, for the benefit of the House, set out in full:
Resolved, That the Committee, having considered the principle and operation of private dining facilities in the House, do conclude that:
(a) it is appropriate for the House to have private dining rooms; it is acceptable for these facilities to be used for party political functions or for "lobbying purposes"; and because of security and other implications, no alternative use of the rooms is considered appropriate.
(b) it is unacceptable for the private dining rooms to be used for any purpose involving direct commercial gain, or as an inducement to recruit new members of outside organisations or non-Parliamentary associations.
(c) the special status of the following Parliamentary organisations be recognised by permitting them to book the private dining rooms in their own names:
(i) Select Committees of the House and the British-Irish Parliamentary Body;
(ii) The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the
Inter-Parliamentary Union, the British-American Parliamentary Group, the Council of Europe, the Western European Union, the North Atlantic Assembly and the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly;
(iii) The Industry and Parliament Trust;
(iv) registered All-Party and Parliamentary Groups; and (v) established Dining Clubs.
(d) in the interests of clarifying the stance of a Member hosting a function in a private dining room, he or she should indicate a relevant registered interest by answering the following questions, to be added to the booking form:
(i) "Do you have a registered interest relating to your sponsorship of this function? Yes/No".
(ii) "Are you making this booking on behalf of another Member? Yes/No."
(iii) "If Yes, does this other Member have a registered interest relating to the sponsorship of this function? Yes/No";
and that, in addition, invitations should be annotated appropriately "Relevant registered interest declared"".
The Committee also agreed that the resolution should take effect from the return of the House after the Easter adjournment, and that in response to future parliamentary questions requesting statistics of the booking of private
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dining rooms, I should answer giving figures on the basis of the statistics compiled from the date of implementation of this resolution.Finally, I wish to advise the hon. Member that the Committee's full formal "Minutes of Proceedings" are today available from the Vote Office or through HMSO.
TRANSPORT
Drivers (Eyesight)
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport to what extent his Department's system for determining the causes of road accidents seeks to identify visual defects as causative factors; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris: The reports completed by police officers for national statistical purposes--STATS 19--are confined to the objective circumstances of the accident and do not record views about possible causes.
Road Schemes
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those road schemes approved at the public inquiry stage since 1985 and since built, in each case giving (a) the capital cost estimate submitted to the public inquiry, (b) the actual cost, (c) the net present value estimated at the public inquiry and (d) his estimate of the net present value had the correct capital cost been approved.
Mr. Watts: This is an operational matter for the Highways Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member. Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Ms Joan Walley, dated 1 February 1995:
As you know, Mr. Watts, Minister for Railways and Roads, has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking for a list of those road schemes approved at the public inquiry stage since 1985 and since built, in each case giving (a) the capital cost estimate submitted to the public enquiry, (b) the actual cost, (c) the net present value estimated at the public inquiry and (d) his estimate of the net present value had the correct capital cost been approved.
I regret that the information you asked for is not held centrally by the Agency and given the number of schemes involved a file search to extract it could only be done at disproportionate cost.
However, I can say that a recent study of 6 schemes has indicated that the overall post-construction net present value is very close to that predicted prior to public inquiry on those schemes.
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road schemes approved since 1985 are at the stage where (a) orders have been published, (b) an inquiry is pending, (c) an inquiry has been completed, the road approved and no contract has been let and (d) an inquiry has been completed, the road approved and the contract let.
Mr. Watts: This is an operational matter for the Highways Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
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Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Ms Joan Walley, dated1 February 1995:As you know, Mr Watts, Minister for Railways and Roads, has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many road schemes approved since 1985 are at the stage where (a) orders have been published, (b) an inquiry is pending, (c) an inquiry has been completed, the road approved and no contract has been let and (d) an inquiry has been completed, the road approved and the contract let.
The information you requested will take a little time to retrieve.
I shall write with your answer as soon as possible.
Training Courses
Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list each training and tuition course with a total cost exceeding £5,000 paid for by (a) his Department and (b) his agencies during the last 12 months, showing the title and objectives of each course, the name of the organisations engaged, the total cost of each course, a summary of the responsibilities of staff members taking part and the process for course evaluation by the Department or agency.
Mr. Norris: This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Red Routes, Lambeth
Mr. Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects red routes to come into operation in Lambeth and on which roads.
Mr. Norris: The traffic director for London is currently considering a revised timetable for the project as a whole, under which red routes in Lambeth would come into operation progressively between 1996 and 2000. The routes in question are specified in SI 1992 No. 1372.
Channel Tunnel Link
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the status of the final line of the route for the channel tunnel link route announced by his predecessor in October 1991 at the time of that announcement.
Mr. Watts: The route announcement in October 1991 was of a broad corridor for an easterly approach to London along the lines of the proposals by Ove Arup, following a comparative assessment by British Rail of four strategic route options.
London Regional Transport
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the actual or approximate public support in pence per passenger mile on services to which London regional transport provides financial support.
Mr. Norris: Government grant to London Transport is now used almost entirely for investment, rather than revenue support to services. However the current year's grant of £373 million is equivalent, on average, to approximately 6p per passenger mile travelled on London Transport's underground and bus services. Decisions on support for individual services are an operational matter for London Transport.
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Through Ticketing
Ms Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will ensure that through ticketing facilities will continue to be available at (a) Nunhead, (b) Peckham Rye, (c) Denmark Hill, (d) West Dulwich, (e) North Dulwich and (f) Sydenham Hill stations.
Mr. Watts [holding answer 24 January 1995]: None of these stations currently offer a complete through ticketing service because they are not linked to the computer seat reservation system which is essential for some tickets. All are able to offer through tickets not requiring seat reservations.
The rail regulator is consulting on the requirements which should be imposed on station operators. The regulator and I are committed to easy access to through tickets for passengers.
NATIONAL HERITAGE
Television Reception
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when he expects all parts of Great Britain to be able to receive television signals from the BBC and independent television.
Mr. Dorrell: An estimated 99.4 per cent. of the United Kingdom population can receive television signals from the BBC and independent television. To extend coverage still further, the BBC and independent broadcasters are pursuing a programme of building about 25 new transmitters a year. The self-help television scheme provides unserved communities with the option of making their own arrangements to obtain TV signals. Technological developments, including cable and satellite, provide further opportunities for securing TV reception.
National Lottery
Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has to commission market research into the socio- economic groups of lottery ticket purchasers; if he will monitor the advertising policies of the national lottery operators to ensure that tickets are not marketed specifically to groups in receipt of social security benefits or otherwise unlikely to be able to afford them; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell: I have no plans to commission such market research at present.
The advertising policy of the national lottery operator is an operational matter. I have therefore asked Peter Davis, the director-general of the national lottery, who is responsible for regulating the operation of the national lottery, to write to the hon. Member, placing copies of his response in the Library of the House.
Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) what has been the total and average weekly value of ticket sales by the national lottery to date; how much of that money has been (a) allocated to good causes, (b) retained by the Treasury, (c) retained by the company and (d) awarded in prizes; and what percentage of the sums retained by the company he estimates are its operating profits.
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(2) whether the national lottery operators are required to make known their operating profits; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Dorrell: In the first eleven weeks, national lottery sales have reached £619,694,634--a weekly average of £56,334,875. Of this, to the nearest pound, £161,303,539 has been paid to the national lottery distribution fund for distribution to the good causes; £74, 363,356 has been paid in lottery duty; £297,456,628 has been paid in prizes to over 12 million winners; and the remaining £86,569,121 has been retained by Camelot Group plc to cover its operating costs and profit, including the 5 per cent. commission on ticket sales paid to its retail agents.
Figures for the operating profits of Camelot Group plc are a matter for the company. It will be filing annual returns and meeting other reporting requirements in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act and other relevant regulations.
Mrs. Jane Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how much interest has been earned to date on that money raised via the national lottery for distributing to charities.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 30 January 1995]: To date, interest of £661,699 has been earned by the national lottery distribution fund. Of this £132,869 has been attributed to the National Lottery Charities Board.
Executive Search Agencies
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what guidelines are operated by his Department as regards the use of executive search agencies to fill vacancies within his Department and his Department's executive agencies; and in what circumstances his Department employs executive search agencies instead of relying fully on departmental resources to fill vacant posts.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 26 January 1995]: The guidelines operated by my Department are those set out in the section of the civil service management code covering recruitment as augmented by the more detailed guidance set out in "Executive Searchlight" produced by the public appointments unit of the Cabinet Office and made widely available within my Department. No additional guidelines are issued. To date no executive search agency has been employed to fill a post within my Department or its two agencies. We rely almost completely on filling vacancies with staff from other Government Departments; linked non-departmental public bodies; and local authorities.
Recruitment
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how much his Department spent during 1994 on recruiting staff to his Department and its executive agencies; and how many staff were recruited.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 27 January 1995]: My Department and its agencies spent £60,654.05 on recruiting staff during 1994. The number of staff recruited was 46.
N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd.
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will provide estimates for the total amount that has been paid to N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. with respect to any work undertaken by it on
Column 676
privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1992 after taking account of inflation.Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 31 January 1995]: There has been no expenditure of this kind.
Ian Greer Associates
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage on how many occasions departmental officials met representatives of Ian Greer Associates (a) formally and (b) informally on 26 January to discuss matters relating to their clients' interests.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 31 January 1995]: None of my Department's officials met representatives of Ian Greer Associates, either formally or informally, on 26 January.
Protected Wrecks
Sir Cranley Onslow: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what progress he now expects to make towards the resolution of the issues which have prevented the transfer of responsibility for protected wrecks in English waters to English Heritage.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 31 January 1995]: It remains departmental policy to seek to transfer responsibility for protected wrecks in English waters to English Heritage. Some issues needing to be resolved are still under discussion but the Treasury Solicitor advises that no transfer can in any case be made without primary legislation, for which there is no immediate parliamentary opportunity.
Sir Cranley Onslow: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many licences are currently in force for archaeological work on protected wreck sites; and how many of these licensees have so far published field work information or deposited copies of their reports with the Royal Commission on the historical monuments of England.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 31 January 1995]: There are currently four licences in force covering archaeological investigation of protected wreck sites. In the last diving season 26 licences were issued in respect of archaeological investigation: three by the Secretary of State for Scotland, two by the Secretary of State for Wales, and 21 by my own Department. I expect that a similar number will be issued for the next diving season.
There is published information about 23 of the sites for which licences were issued in 1994 and those licensed to dive are known to have published information on nine of those sites. Since 1992 one report has been formally deposited with the Royal Commission on the historical monuments of England. Full information about fieldwork reports published by those licensed to dive is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Sir Cranley Onslow: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what has been the annual cost to his Department of the functions relating to protected wrecks in English waters in each of the past five years.
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