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|Number of
Financial |Pass rate |Car test fees|applications
years |percentage |£ |received
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1985-86 |48.5 |14.40 |-
1986-87 |49.2 |14.40 |-
1987-88 |50.0 |15.00 |-
1988-89 |52.0 |16.50 |-
1989-90 |52.2 |18.00 |-
1990-91 |52.4 |19.50 |1,905,412
1991-92 |50.8 |21.50 |1,774,938
1992-93 |49.8 |23.50 |1,602,778
1993-94 |47.9 |26.00 |1,578,232
1994-95 |- |27.50 |1,536,630
The pass rate information for the whole of 1994 95 is not yet available but for the first 9 months it was 47.2 per cent. We do not collate data on the number of candidates applying for a test, only on the volume of applications. Clearly many candidates apply more than once in the course of a year.
Road Building
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 14 February, Official Report , column 560 , what estimates are available from the regional aggregate working parties of the tonnage or road stone required for the next 10 years of road building. [17873]
Mr. Watts [holding answer 5 April 1995]: None.
DEFENCE
Armament Sales (Nigeria)
Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what make of armaments the Government have sold to the Government of Nigeria since June 1993. [20324]
Makhzoami Brothers
Mr. Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those occasions on which the
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right hon. Member for Thanet, South (Mr. Aitken) had meetings with the Makhzoumi brothers or their representatives while a Minister in his Department, (a) in property owned or occupied by the Ministry of Defence and (b) elsewhere. [20325]Mr. Freeman: Our records show that the right hon. Member for Thanet, South, while he was Minister for Defence Procurement, met Mr. Fouad Makhzoumi on 25 February 1993 at a dinner held at the Dorchester hotel in honour of the Lebanese Minister of Information; on 20 October 1993 in the Ministry of Defence, main building, Whitehall; and on the 17 November 1993 when he briefly joined a dinner party at the Dorchester hotel given in honour of the Lebanese chief of the naval staff. Officials were present on all these occasions.
Other meetings with the Makhazoumi brothers or their
representatives, not on MOD business, held outside property owned or occupied by the Ministry of Defence and without civil servants, are a matter for the right hon. Member for Thanet, South.
Mr. Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which contracts notified to his Department, for the export of military or security-related equipment from Britain to the Lebanon, the Makhzoumi brothers have been involved as principals or intermediaries, since 1 January 1992. [20326]
Mr. Freeman: My Department has no record of export contracts for licensable military or security equipment with the Makhzoumi brothers or any of their companies. It is for companies to decide on whether and whom to employ as advisers or intermediaries.
Arms Sales
Mr. Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions have taken place since 1 January 1992 between (a) Alvis and (b) Racal and his Department concerning the export of security-related equipment from Britain to the Lebanon; and if he will make a statement. [20327]
Mr. Freeman: As part of their normal duties of promoting the sale of British defence equipment, officials from the Defence Export Services Organisation have had numerous discussions with Alvis, Racal and a number of other companies about the prospects for the sale of defence equipment to Lebanon.
Mr. Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the role of Future Management Services in the promotion of arms sales to the middle east; and if he will make a statement. [20328]
Mr. Freeman: Future Management Services has discussed export prospects to the middle east for UK companies with DESO officials on a number of occasions.
Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates between April 1992 and July 1994 Ministers in his Department met Mr. Fouad Makhzoumi to discuss arms sales; which Ministers were involved; and if civil servants were present during such meetings. [20486]
Mr. Freeman: My right hon. Friend the Member for Thanet, South met Mr. Makhzoumi on several occasions between April 1992 and July 1994 to discuss the prospects for the sale of defence equipment to Lebanon and I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Cunninghame, North (Mr. Wilson).
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There are no records of meetings between other Ministry of Defence Ministers and Mr. Makhzoumi between April 1992 and July 1994.Asturion Foundation
Mr. Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he authorised the receipt of hospitality from the Asturion Foundation by the right hon. Member for Thanet, South (Mr. Aitken); and if he will make a statement; [20329]
(2) what information his Department has on the work of the Asturion Foundation. [20330]
Mr. Freeman: The MOD has no information about the Asturion Foundation.
Old Sarum Airfield
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the purchaser of Old Sarum airfield will be required to maintain on the property an operational airfield for civilian and military use. [20368]
Mr. Freeman: The terms of the 999-year lease of the airfield have been carried forward into the terms of the current sale. Neither the lease nor the sale terms carry an obligation for the maintenance of an airfield for civilian and military use, although my Department retains in the lease and sale documents the right to land military helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft on no more than 150 occasions per year, and has been exercising that right. Any change of use by the purchaser of the property would be subject to the usual planning laws in the ordinary way.
Defence Evaluation and Research Agency
Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which official or officials within the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency are responsible for marketing test ranges and the capabilities of the work force on each range. [20521]
Mr. Freeman: This is a matter for the chief executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. I have therefore asked him to reply.
Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Nick Ainger, dated 24 April 1995:
In today's written answer the Minister of State for Defence Procurement informed you that I would be replying to your question (No 20521) about which official or officials within the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency are responsible for marketing test ranges and the capabilities of the workforce on each range.
Within DERA, the test ranges are managed by the Defence Test and Evaluation Organisation (DTEO), one of the four constituent divisions of the Agency. Marketing of DTEO and its capabilities is the responsibility of the Managing Director and his management team. I hope that this information is helpful.
Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which officials of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency have the responsibility for allocating tests and trials between ranges for customers within ranges. [20523]
Mr. Freeman: This is a matter for the chief executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. I have therefore asked him to reply.
Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Nick Ainger, dated 24 April 1995:
In today's written answer the Minister of State for Defence Procurement informed you that I would be replying to your question
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(No 20523) about which officials of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency have the responsibility for allocating tests and trials between ranges for customers within ranges.Within DERA, the test ranges are managed by the Defence Test and Evaluation Organisation (DTEO), one of the four constituent divisions of the Agency. Trials are offered to the customer at the range with the ability to perform the trial. Where more than one range can conduct the trial there is normally a site which specialises in this kind of trial and this would generally be the one offered. The decision on which site to use is taken by the customer, not DTEO, on a value for money basis.
I hope that this information is helpful.
Sea Dumping (Munitions)
Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list the position of the sites of current and disused sea dumping grounds for (a) explosives and (b) chemical weapons; [20525]
(2) if he will list the tonnage and type of (a) explosive and (b) chemical weapons which have been dumped at sea since 1965 in each of the current and disused dumping grounds. [20524]
Mr. Freeman: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 31 March to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark) Official Report, column 875 .
Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times a customer's preference for a particular range has not been agreed to by officials of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. [20526]
Mr. Freeman: This is a matter for the chief executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. I have therefore asked him to reply.
Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Nick Ainger, dated 24 April 1995:
In today's written answer the Minister of State for Defence Procurement informed you that I would be replying to your (No. 20526) about how many times a customer's preference for a particular range has not been agreed to by the officials of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency.
I am aware of no such cases. In any event, DTEO, like the rest of the Agency, is dependent upon customers to pay for its services. If a customer is unhappy with the service offered, the decision rests with the customer as to whether to proceed.
I hope that this information is helpful.
Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which officials within the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency allocate projects to ranges when a customer has expressed a preference for a particular range to carry out trials and tests. [20522]
Mr. Freeman: This is a matter for the chief executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. I have therefore asked him to reply.
Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Nick Ainger, dated 24 April 1995:
In today's written answer the Minister of State for Defence procurement informed you that I would be replying to your question (No 20522) about which officials within the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency allocate projects to ranges when a customer has expressed a preference for a particular range to carry out trials and tests.
Within DERA, the test ranges are managed by the Defence Test and Evaluation Organisation (DTEO), one of the four constituent divisions of the Agency. Where a customer has expressed a preference for a particular range this is taken into account by the assignment manager responsible for the particular customer's programme. If the proposed location is not suitable the customer would be appraised of this. If the customer's trial is one for which more than one range is suitable he would be made aware of any
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additional costs associated with performing the trial at any alternative site. Since DTEO is part of an Agency its trading status ensures it places great emphasis upon customers' preferences. I hope that this information is helpful.Queen Elizabeth Military Hospital
Mr. Austin-Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement on the matters raised by the hon. Member for Woolwich in his letter of 19 April concerning civilian staff at Queen Elizabeth military hospital, Woolwich; [20531]
(2) what representations his Department has received from civilian staff at Queen Elizabeth military hospital, Woolwich, about their future; and what was the response. [20530]
Mr. Freeman: My noble friend the Under Secretary of State for Defence will write to the hon. Member shortly answering fully the points raised in his letters.
Royal Arsenal, Woolwich
Mr. Austin-Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the most recent position regarding the future of the site of the former Royal Arsenal, Woolwich. [20532]
Mr. Freeman: The future of the site at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich is the subject of detailed negotiations between my Department and the Urban Regeneration Agency and English Partnerships. The east site is still occupied by the Defence Research Agency, who will vacate the site this summer. Disposal options are being discussed with the local planning authority, the London borough of Greenwich.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Allowances
Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list for each agency and the central Department for which he is responsible (a) the total amount of removal costs and associated expenses reimbursed to officials who were required to relocate as part of their employment, (b) the amount of each of the highest three claims that were concluded and settled and (c) the average amount of each claim in each of the last three years. [19654]
Sir John Wheeler: The information is not fully available in the Northern Ireland Office or in all the Northern Ireland Departments in the form requested. However, the information available is as listed.
|Total amount |Amount of each |Average
|of removal |of the highest 3 |amount of
Department |costs £ |claims £ |claim £
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1992-93
Education |6,665 |625 625 625 |493
Agriculture |48,560 |5,000 3,863 2,414 |1,628
Economic Development |nil |none |nil
Environment |88,510 |12,408<1> 10,722<1>< >10,056<1>|7,550<1>
Health and Social Services |20,261 |n/a |n/a
Finance and Personnel |22,610 |5,471 5,379 3,296 |2,261
Northern Ireland Office |290,168 |n/a |n/a
Agency
Training and Employment Agency |nil |none |nil
Rate Collection Agency |7,209 |<2>- |<2>-
Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency |6,895 |<2>- |<2>-
Ordnance Survey of NI |8,894 |<2>- |<2>-
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency |nil |<2>- |<2>-
Social Security Agency |17,903 |n/a |n/a
Child Support Agency |not established
Valuation and Lands Agency |not established
Compensation Agency |nil |none |nil
1993-94
Education |27,772 |6,118 4,908 2,332 |2,076
Agriculture |48,017 |7,134 3,265 2,894 |2,410
Economic Development |8,412 |8,412 |8,412
Environment |36,612 |11,586<1> 11,519<1> 9,670<1> |10,925<1>
Health and Social Services |6,950 |n/a |n/a
Finance and Personnel |2,514 |1,599 |838 635 280
Northern Ireland Office |438,332 |n/a |n/a
Agency
Training and Employment Agency |5,188 |5,188 |5,188
Rate Collection Agency |492 |<2>- |<2>-
Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency |383 |<2>- |<2>-
Ordnance Survey of NI |6,839 |<2>- |<2>-
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency |945 |<2>- |<2>-
Social Security Agency |3,610 |n/a |n/a
Child Support Agency |5,413 |n/a |n/a
Valuation and Lands Agency |3,150 |3,150 |3,150
Compensation Agency |nil |none |nil
1994-95
Education |6,643 |3,263 1,752 421 |3,148
Agriculture |53,653 |5,882 1,417 635 |2,645
Economic Development |nil |none |nil
Environment |23,290 |8,088<1> |8,080<1>
Health and Social Services |1,707 |n/a |n/a
Finance and Personnel |8,065 |6,595 835 |2,688
Northern Ireland Office |259,974 |n/a |n/a
Agency
Training and Employment Agency |nil |none |nil
Rate Collection Agency |371 |<2>- |<2>-
Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency |386 |<2>- |<2>-
Ordnance Survey of NI |2,172 |<2>- |<2>-
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency |nil |<2>- |<2>-
Social Security Agency |4,413 |n/a |n/a
Child Support Agency |nil |none |nil
Valuation and Lands Agency |15,002 |10,220 4,782 |7,501
Compensation Agency |nil |none |nil
<1> These figures include the 4 Agencies related to the Department of Environment.
<2> Figures included in Department of the Environment totals.
n/a = not available in the form requested and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the total amount paid by his central Department and each agency for which he is responsible in subsistence allowances for travel (a) within the United Kingdom and (b) outside the United Kingdom in each of the last three years. [19560]
Sir John Wheeler: The available information is as follows:
|Subsistence
|allowance
Department |paid for travel £
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1992-93
Education |132,562
Agriculture |<1>48,077
Environment |355,844
Northern Ireland Office |256,307
Economic Development |279,830
Health and Social Services |233,520
Finance and Personnel |161,000
Agency
Rate Collection Agency |12,840
Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency |20,688
Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland |40,815
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency |not established
Compensation Agency |432
Training and Employment Agency |132,635
Social Security Agency |540,594
Child Support Agency |not established
Valuation and Lands Agency |not established
1993-94
Education |110,223
Agriculture |584,543
Environment |332,569
Northern Ireland Office |261,679
Economic Development |301,771
Health and Social Services |176,383
Finance and Personnel |110,000
Agency
Rate Collection Agency |13,554
Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency |17,581
Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland |50,777
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency |2,451
Compensation Agency |7,869
Training and Employment Agency |132,085
Social Security Agency |438,431
Child Support Agency |28,901
Valuation and Lands Agency |33,000
1994-95
Education |66,702
Agriculture |651,350
Environment |340,835
Northern Ireland Office |184,677
Economic Development |262,197
Health and Social Services |122,245
Finance and Personnel |97,000
Agency
Rate Collection Agency |11,552
Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency |26,522
Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland |42,990
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency |3,280
Compensation Agency |8,509
Training and Employment Agency |119,015
Social Security Agency |183,724
Child Support Agency |20,087
Valuation and Lands Agency |29,000
Job Losses
Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many jobs have been lost with the final run-down of the towns' gas industry in Northern Ireland; and how many of these will be replaced by jobs in the natural gas industry in Northern Ireland. [19867]
Mr. Ancram: At 31 March 1985, the gas undertakings in Northern Ireland employed some 980 staff and the last undertaking closed in May 1993. It is too early to estimate the number of jobs that could be provided by a natural gas industry.
Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many jobs were lost after disbanding the Northern Ireland Housing Executive's direct labour organisation; and how many of those made redundant secured employment in the private sector in the same field of work. [19872]
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Mr. Moss: This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. I understand from the chief executive that its direct labour organisation was not disbanded; it was, however, scaled down from 749 employees, permanent and temporary, in January 1993 to its current complement of 127 employees. Details of how many staff subsequently took up employment in the private sector are not available.
Natural Gas Industry
Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if proposals have been completed by the Department of Economic Development for regulations to govern the natural gas industry in Northern Ireland. [19866]
Mr. Ancram: It is planned to publish a proposal for a draft gas order to facilitate the development and regulation of a natural gas industry in Northern Ireland by early summer of this year.
Footpath Resurfacing
Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland has been able to fulfil its aims to resurface 22 km of urban footpaths every year. [19868]
Mr. Moss: The Department aims to resurface 220 km of urban footpath each year and over the past three years this has been achieved.
Arts Councils
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals the Arts Council of Northern Ireland has to increase arts contacts with (a) Scotland (b) the Republic of Ireland; and if he will make a statement about the present policy of the Arts Council towards the promotion of co-operation with similar bodies within the United Kingdom. [19757]
Mr. Ancram: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 10 January 1995, Official Report, column 11.
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland has no specific plans to increase arts contacts with Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.
Magpies and Crows
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his estimate of the threat to sheep and lambs by magpies and grey-backed crows; what proposals he has to reduce the presence of magpies and grey-backed crows; and if he will make a statement. [19755]
Mr. Moss: Information is not available on the threat posed to sheep and lambs by magpies and grey-backed, or hooded crows. There are no proposals to reduce the presence of magpies and grey-backed crows; existing controls under the wildlife legislation are considered to be adequate.
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what change has occurred (a) in the population of magpies and grey-backed crows and (b) in the number of attacks on young lambs by magpies and grey-backed crows in the last five years; what is the impact of the species on song bird populations; what proposals he
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has to control numbers of magpies and grey- backed crows; and if he will make a statement. [19920]Mr. Moss: Specific information in relation to Northern Ireland for the past five years is not available. Overall UK figures for 1992 93 indicate an increase in the populations of magpies and crows as follows:
|Annual rate of
|change in |Annual rate of
|Population size |Northern Ireland|change in UK
|in Northern |1992-93 |1992-93
Species |Ireland 1993 |(per cent.) |(per cent.)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crow |49,500 |n/a |+4.7
Magpie |58,900 |+2.3 |+2.5
Information is not available on the number of attacks on young lambs by magpies and grey-backed, or hooded, crows in the last five years.
Recent research in England and Wales has shown that there is no correlation between the number of magpies and the breeding success of song birds. No similar research has been carried out in Northern Ireland, but population densities of magpies and song birds are similar and there is no reason to believe that the situation is different from that in Great Britain.
There are no proposals to reduce the presence of magpies and grey-backed crows; existing controls under the wildlife legislation are considered to be adequate.
Green Economy Working Group
Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the names of the industrialists and environmentalists which make up the working group set up to advise the Government on environmental issues in business and industry in Northern Ireland under the initiative of the Department of Economic Development in Northern Ireland, "Growing a Green Economy", launched in March 1993; and what initiatives it has recommended to the Government since the establishment of the group. [19861]
Mr. Ancram: The names of the members of the green economy working group and their recommendations to Government and industry are included in the working group's report, which was published on 1 December 1994 and copies of which are available in the Library.
European Aid Conference
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons were invited to the conference in Newcastle on Wednesday 29 March about the Delors package of European aid for Northern Ireland; how many were invited in their capacity as local government
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elected members; how many hon. Members were invited; and if he will make a statement. [19758]Sir John Wheeler: A total of 248 invitations were issued for the conference in Newcastle on 29 March on the Delors package of European aid for Northern Ireland, 52 of which were sent to the chief executives of district councils. Councils were free to use these places as they wished for local government elected members or officials with functional responsibility. Members of Parliament were not invited because the purpose of the conference was to give local people on the ground the opportunity to make their views known. The decision to focus the conference in this way took account of the fact that elected representatives have the opportunity to meet Ministers to discuss matters such as the Delors package of European aid.
Homelessness
Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his estimate of the number of homeless people in Northern Ireland. [19871]
Mr. Moss: It is not possible to estimate the number of people who are homeless in Northern Ireland. I am advised by the chief executive of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, however, that at 31 March 1995 the number of households living in temporary accommodation secured for them under the homeless provisions of the Housing (Northern Ireland) Order 1988 was 1,747.
Balmoral Avenue--Malone Road Junction
Rev. Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the cost, so far, for the road scheme at Balmoral avenue-Malone road junction. [19744]
Mr. Moss: In-house staff costs incurred to date are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Other costs incurred to date relate to the public inquiry into the scheme and amount to approximately £23,000.
Fisheries
Rev. Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consideration the Government have given to allocation in any potential extra funding following the recent ceasefire to the fishing industry. [19922]
Mr. Ancram: Such funding could be available under the European Union's proposed "Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland". However, that programme has yet to be fully negotiated with the EU in conjunction with the Republic of Ireland. It is too early to predict who exactly the beneficiaries will be.
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