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City Pride Initiative
Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to extend the city pride initiative; and if he will make a statement. [23422]
Mr. Curry [holding answer 11 May 1995]: Three cities, Birmingham, London and Manchester, are currently taking part in the city pride initiative, and have all made excellent progress in drawing up a prospectus setting out their vision for the future. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State said in the House on 4 November 1993, Official Report , column 516, these are the pilot areas on which city pride is currently concentrated. We will wish to assess progress with the city pride initiative in these areas before any extension.
Air Pollution
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action his Department has taken
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to improve public information on air pollution following the survey on air quality and smog awareness commissioned by his Department last July. [23670]Mr. Atkins: I shall shortly publish a consultation paper, proposing changes to our public information system. I will also announce a major upgrade to the free telephone service which provides the public with continuous access to information about pollution levels and health advice.
Public Bodies
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which non-departmental public bodies within the responsibility of his Department are subject to scrutiny by (a) ombudsmen, (b) the National Audit Office, (c) the Audit Commission and (d) other monitoring officers; which are covered by citizens charters; in which performance indicators apply; and in which members are liable to surcharge. [23968]
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Sir Paul Beresford: Details of non-departmental public bodies sponsored by my department are listed in the Cabinet Office publication, "Public Bodies 1994". A copy is available in the House of Commons Library. In respect of executive NDPBs, I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Cannock and Burntwood (Dr. Wright) on Tuesday 25 April, Official Report , column 474 75 . In respect of the advisory and tribunal NDPBs, the Local Government Commission is subject to scrutiny by the Parliamentary Commissioner. It is also intended to introduce an Order under the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1994 to extend the commissioner's jurisdiction to the Department's tribunals.
The Local Government Commission and departmental expenditure in respect of advisory bodies and tribunals are subject to inspection by the National Audit Office.
The Local Government Commission, the valuation tribunals and the rent assessment panels are expected to abide by the provisions of the citizens charter. Key performance measures and targets are set for the Local Government Commission, while the tribunals have key objectives or benchmarks.
No members of any NDPBs are liable to surcharge.
Air Pollution (Bexley)
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to visit the London borough of Bexley to discuss the problems of air pollution in the area. [23729]
Mr. Atkins: I have no plans at present to visit Bexley to discuss matters related to air pollution in the area.
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has for improving air quality and reducing air pollution in the London borough of Bexley. [23730]
Mr. Atkins: I intend shortly to table amendments to the Environment Bill to implement the proposals on air quality management announced in January.
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations he has received about air pollution in the London borough of Bexley. [23731]
Mr. Atkins: My officials are in regular contact with local government officers in Bexley in connection with the operation of air quality monitoring facilities in the borough.
Annual Reports
Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to make it a statutory requirement for (a) the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment, (b) the Radioactive Waste Management Committee and (c) the Royal Commission on environmental pollution to lay an annual report before Parliament. [24174]
Sir Paul Beresford: I see no need to introduce such legislation. The Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment and the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee already produce annual reports which are placed in the House of Commons Library and the Royal Commission on environmental pollution presents all its reports to Parliament.
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Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will instruct the Inland Waterways Amenity Advisory Council to lay an annual report before Parliament. [24185]
Mr. Atkins: The Transport Act 1968 established the Inland Waterways Amenity Advisory Council to advise the British Waterways Board and the Secretary of State on the amenity and recreation aspects of the board's network. Apart from the part-time chairman's salary, which is paid by DOE, IWAAC's expenses are met by the British Waterways Board and recorded in the board's annual report and accounts, copies of which are placed in the Library of the House. Additionally IWAAC carries out regular reviews of its activities, reports of which are made freely available to interested parties.
Single Regeneration Budget
Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the planned spending on (a) task forces, (b) compacts, (c) teacher placements, (d) education business partnerships, (e) TEC challenge, (f) section 11, (g) ethnic minorities grant, (h) safer cities and (i) GEST 19 under the single regeneration budget for 1995 96 and 1996 97. [24388]
Mr. Curry: Provisional allocations for these programmes are as follows:
£ million
|1995-96|1996-97
------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Task Forces |13.0 |9.6
(b) Compacts |4.3 |1.1
(c) Teacher Placement scheme |2.0 |2.0
(d) Education Business Partnerships |<0.1 |0
(e) TEC Challenge |0 |0
(f) Section 11 (part) |37.3 |27.4
(g) Ethnic Minorities Grant |2.3 |0
(h) Safer Cities |5.4 |6.1
(i) GEST 19 |0.4 |0
These allocations reflect on-going commitments on programmes that now form part of the single regeneration budget. They do not take into account approvals for new schemes under the SRB challenge fund.
Rural White Paper
Mr. Colvin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the net annual financial saving, or cost, of his Department's submission for the proposed White Paper on the rural economy. [24335]
Mr. Atkins: Proposals for the rural White Paper remain subject to continuing collective consideration and discussion. The cost of measures contained in the White Paper will be taken into account in the public expenditure survey.
Cable Communications Installers
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment if he will make it his policy to require cable
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communication installers to restore all pavements and roads to their former standard and to replace trees which die within five years of the installation work. [22730]Mr. Ian Taylor: I have been asked to reply.
Cable operators' streetworks are already subject to the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, and its associated regulations. The Act requires that reinstatement following street works must be carried out to a specified standard, and any defects remedied at the operator's expense. Failure to reinstate is an offence under the Act, as is failure to comply with the prescribed reinstatement standards. Cable operators are committed to ensuring that the potential for any tree damage is minimised by following best practice when trenching in the vicinity of trees. The cable industry supports the guidelines, published last month by the national joint utilities group, which promote the use of trenchless technology or else hand digging around trees.
DEFENCE
Base Purchasers
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 3 May, Official Report, columns 234 38 , if any of the purchasers listed have as directors or employ as consultants, present or former hon. Members. [23523]
Mr. Soames: The information requested is not held by my Department.
Northern Ireland Expenditure
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated gross cost of British defence policy in Northern Ireland for 1994 95; and what percentage this constitutes of the total defence budget. [23398]
Mr. Soames: The current estimate of costs incurred by the General Officer Commanding, Northern Ireland in 1994 95 on personnel, stores, services, lands and works is some £510,000,000. This amounts to about 2 per cent. of the total estimated expenditure on the defence budget.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated additional cost of the Army's work in Northern Ireland compared with its standard deployment elsewhere; and what percentage this additional cost forms of the total defence budget. [23399]
Mr. Soames: The cost of deploying the Army varies according to its location around the world and the task it is undertaking; there is, therefore, no standard deployment to form the basis of such a comparison.
Public Bodies
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which non- departmental public bodies within the responsibility of his Department are subject to scrutiny by (a) ombudsmen, (b) the National Audit Office, (c) the Audit Commission and (d) other monitoring officers; which are covered by citizens charters; in which performance indicators apply; and in which members are liable to surcharge. [23964]
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Mr. Soames: Although none of my Department's executive non- departmental public bodies is subject to scrutiny by the ombudsmen or the Audit Commission, they are subject to citizens charter and performance indicators. All MOD NDPBs are liable to scrutiny by the National Audit Office and my Department also maintains a monitoring role under which NDPBs are subject to a comprehensive review every five years. None of the MOD's NDPB board members is liable to surcharge.
Trident
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the statement on the defence estimates, page 38, (a) if HMS Vanguard is deployed with significantly fewer than 96 warheads, (b) under what circumstances Trident submarines may deploy with significantly fewer than 96 warheads and (c) if his Department will seek to publicly announce any future decision to deploy significantly fewer than 96 warheads per submarine. [23994]
Mr. Soames: We will deploy on Trident submarines only the minimum nuclear capability, within our declared ceiling of 96 warheads, which we judge necessary to provide an effective deterrent. It is not our practice to release details of the number of warheads actually carried.
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Castle Point (Dr. Spink), on 2 May, Official Report , column 164, (a) when his Department first revealed that the Trident warhead has a lower yield than that of Polaris (b) to what extent the yield of the Trident warhead is smaller than the Polaris warhead and (c) if the yield of the Chevaline warhead is smaller than that of the Polaris warhead. [23993]
Mr. Soames: The first explicit comparison of the yield of Trident and Polaris or Chevaline warheads was made in the answer to which the hon. Member refers. The yield of the Chevaline warhead is much the same as that of the Polaris warhead. It is not our practice to comment in more detail on the yield of nuclear warheads.
Tornado Aircraft
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Tornado aircraft based at RAF Coningsby were grounded last year for checks after sand was found in the fuel bowsers; what was the cause of this damage; who was responsible for this damage; which company has the contract to maintain the Tornado aircraft at RAF Coningsby; and if he will make a statement. [23946]
Mr. Soames: Twenty-eight Tornado aircraft were grounded as a precaution when a routine check discovered that fuel in a bowser had been contaminated with grit. The contamination was due to residue remaining after a grit blasting technique had been used to remove the lining from part of a bulk fuel installation. The investigation into the responsibility for this contamination is still under way. The majority of the maintenance of Tornado aircraft at RAF Coningsby is carried out by service personnel; very occasionally, some tasks are undertaken by contractors.
Training
Mr. Ian Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the distance from (i) RAC Bovington,
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(ii) RAF Netheravon and (iii) RAF Swanton Morley to the nearest facilities suitable for armoured reconnaissance vehicles for (a) live firing, (b) off-road rough training, (c) off-road paved track training, (d) major overhaul of vehicles, (e) training with heavy armour, (f) training with infantry, (g) training on vehicle maintenance, (h) training for drivers, (i) port facilities designed to support loading armoured vehicles, (j) training with signals and (k) training with helicopters. [24468]Mr. Soames: For RAF Bovington, Netheravon and RAF Swanton Morley, the information requested is as follows:
(a) Each armoured unit is obliged to fire at Castlemartin in Wales. Distances are 250 miles from Bovington, 200 miles from Netheravon and 340 miles from Swanton Morley. Movement will usually be by rail.
(b) Training will be at Salisbury Plain for units from Bovington, 60 miles and Netheravon, three miles; training will be at Stanford for units from Swanton Morley, 20 miles.
(c) There is a good but heavily used facility at Bovington. There is no access to a facility at Netheravon, Swanton Morley has exclusive use of the on-site airfield perimeter track.
(d) Repairs will be carried out on site. Major overhaul for CVR(T) vehicles from all three sites, which would take place about every eight years, would be at Donnington in Staffordshire. (e and f) There is no mandatory requirement for such training. (g) this is provided before joining units, and then continuation training is conducted within the regiment, wherever based.
(h) Basic training is provided before joining the unit. Continuation training is carried out on local roads and nearby training areas.
(i) Armoured recce vehicles do not require specialised loading facilities. Nearest port facilities are Marchwood for Bovington, 50 miles, and Netheravon, 40 miles, and Felixtowe for Swanton Morley, 80 miles. Vehicles can also be transported through the channel tunnel. (j) This is provided before joining units, and then continuation training is conducted within the regiment, wherever based.
(k) There is no mandatory requirement, but training can be carried out on most training areas--see answer to (b). In addition, Swanton Morley is close to Wattisham where two Army Air Corps Regiments are based.
Stanley Barracks, Bovington
Mr. Ian Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if a study has concluded that there is space at Bovington to locate the Third Armoured reconnaissance regiment; and what is the current area occupied by (a) Stanley barracks and (b) the area owned by his Department that abuts the barracks. [24467]
Mr. Soames: Studies show that the Stanley barracks site at Bovington does not have the capacity to accommodate all the regiment, and that it would therefore be necessary to split the regiment between two sites, Stanley barracks and the gunnery school, Lulworth, which would have to accommodate garaging, workshops, and stores as well as living accommodation for one squadron.
The current area taken up by Stanley barracks, mess accommodation, married quarters and other buildings is 329 acres. Adjacent training land, which is very heavily utilised, occupies 2,150 acres.
RAF Swanton Morley
Mr. Ian Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what savings have been estimated in running
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costs by closing (a) RAF Swanton Morley and (b) RAF Northavon; and what was the estimate of the capital value of these sites. [24469]Mr. Soames: The annual running cost savings resulting from the closure of RAF Swanton Morley are £6,729,000. There are no plans to close Netheravon camp--there is no RAF Northavon--but savings from ceasing Army Air Corps flying activity at the site are expected to be £1,404,000.
As it may be possible to sell Swanton Morley, it is not appropriate to disclose the estimate of likely capital value. Such estimates have, however, been taken into account in the cost appraisal for the options for the future location of the third reconnaissance regiment.
Sound of Jura Mines
Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons the mines have not been recovered from the medium mine field in the sound of Jura; what arrangements have been made to pay compensation to fishing vessel owners and crews in the event of gear being fouled and damaged by such mines; and if he will make a statement. [24180]
Mr. Soames: The practice mines which were laid in the sound of Jura, all of which are inert, could not be recovered as planned because the special clearance vessel which was to have carried out the task had to be diverted to look for the wreckage of a crashed Tornado. This had to be recovered as soon as possible to assist a board of inquiry. The mine clearance operation has, however, now been undertaken.
In the event of gear being fouled and damaged by practice mines, any claims should be submitted to my Department in the usual way through the local Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency fisheries officer.
Nuclear Committees
Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will introduce legislation for make it a statutory requirement that (a) the nuclear powered warships committee and (b) the nuclear weapons safety committee lay an annual report before Parliament. [24186]
Mr. Soames: I have no plans to do so.
Dartmoor Steering Group
Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration led to the decision not to release externally the annual report of the Dartmoor steering group and working party. [24188]
Mr. Soames: None, as no such decision has been taken. A copy of the 13th annual report of the Dartmoor steering group, December 1994, has been placed in the Library of the House.
Detention Facilities
Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what considerations led to the decision not to release externally the annual report of the independent board of visitors for the military corrective training centre and royal naval detention quarters. [24187]
Mr. Soames: The reports rendered by the independent board of visitors for the military corrective training centre and the royal naval detention quarters comprise accounts
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of their visits to the service detention facilities and are employed as an internal management tool to preserve an impartial overview of the running of the facility. There has previously been no indication of any interest in these reports outside my Department, but consideration will now be given to a formal, wider distribution of them.Rural White Paper
Mr. Colvin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his estimate of the net annual financial saving, or cost, of his Department's submission for the proposed White Paper on the rural economy. [24327]
Mr. Soames: Proposals for the rural White Paper remain subject to continuing collective consideration and discussion. The cost of measures contained in the White
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Paper will be taken into account in the public expenditure survey.Job Losses
Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 9 May, Official Report , column 403 , if he will give a breakdown of the 11,167 posts proposed for reduction. [23992]
Mr. Soames: As my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Defence Procurement made clear in his answer of 9 May, Official Report , column 403 , details of the categories of those posts proposed for reduction, by ranks and grades, are not held centrally. A breakdown of the total number proposed for reduction, by main management areas, and showing the likely outcome for the postholders involved, is as follows:
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Main management Outcome for
areas ||10staff in posts
||10proposed for
||10reduction
|A |B |C |D |E |F |G |H |I |J
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Royal Navy |1,017 |236 |41 |0 |476 |11 |19 |241 |1 |0
Army |1,891 |529 |14 |11 |157 |14 |875 |285 |1 |5
Royal Air Force |942 |120 |83 |19 |691 |12 |9 |12 |1 |15
2nd Permanent Under Secretary of State |948 |860 |50 |0 |36 |2 |0 |0 |0 |0
Vice Chief of the Defence Staff |307 |7 |2 |0 |121 |0 |2 |175 |0 |0
Chief of Defence Procurement |7,920 |869 |8,500 |0 |14 |0 |28 |509 |0 |0
Defence Evaluation and Research Agency |1,529 |792 |0 |0 |0 |587 |43 |107 |0 |0
Meteorological Office |146 |120 |0 |0 |15 |4 |0 |0 |18 |0
|-------- |-------- |-------- |-------- |-------- |-------- |-------- |-------- |-------- |--------
Total |14,700 |3,533 |6,670 |30 |1,512 |630 |976 |1,329 |21 |20
Notes:
A. Number of posts in activity before testing.
B. Number of posts in activity after testing.
C. Transfer to new employer under TUPE.
D. Transfer to new employer not under TUPE.
E. Redeployed within the Department.
F. Voluntary early retirement/redundancy.
G. Compulsory redundancy.
H. Outcome not yet decided.
I. Other (Aga/Medical retirement, End of fixed term and casual service).
J. Outcome not known.
Defence Export Services Organisation
Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 20 April, Official Report , column 226 , on the Defence Exports Services Organisation, how many applications to engage in work for the private sector have been made in the last 10 years; how many were refused; and if he will make a statement. [23996]
Mr. Freeman: The records available show that in the last 10 years one such application was received and approved from an individual seconded to DESO.
Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 20 April, Official Report , column 227 , if the current offset adviser and international finance adviser of the Defence Export Services Organisation have made applications to engage in work for outside companies. [23998]
Mr. Freeman: The international finance adviser, who is employed on a part-time short-term contract has been granted permission to work for a company in the civil sector when not employed by the MOD. The offset adviser, who is seconded full-time to DESO, has made no application of this kind.
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Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 20 April, Official Report , column 226 , on the Defence Exports Services Organisation, if he will list the applications made in the last five years to work for or offer consultancy services to companies int he private sector. [23997]
Mr. Freeman: The records available show that, within the last five years, the only secondee granted permission to work in the private sector was the former head of Defence Export Services who accepted a non-executive directorship in a civil sector company in 1994.
Private Detective Agencies
Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the activities for which Brays Detective Agency has been retained in each of the last three years for which information is available; and if he will give the cost for each year. [23995]
Mr. Soames: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General to the hon. Member for Southampton,
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Itchen (Mr. Denham) on 23 March 1995, Official Report , column 309 .Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst
Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the subjects currently studied by those on the Sandhurst standard military course; and if he will provide an estimate of the time spent on each subject as a proportion of the whole. [23999]
Mr. Soames: The commissioning course at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst is made up of three 14-week terms with one week of adventurous training in each of the two recesses. The subjects studied and the percentage time spent on each of them, based on the number of periods allocated, are as follows:
Subject |Percentage ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Practical exercises |22.5 Leadership |4.1 Organisation and concepts |1.2 Tactics |8.3 Training a platoon |1.0 Skill at arms/craft/range management |8.4 Map reading |2.4 Signals |3.4 First aid |1.1 Nuclear biological chemical |1.3 Physical training |5.6 Administration |2.3 Drill |6.3 Communication studies |2.4 Contemporary affairs |1.4 War studies |1.4 Adventurous training instr |0.2 Adventurous training |4.4 Battlefield technology |0.6 Military law |0.1 Combined arms training |0.5 Information systems |0.4 Course administration |7.5 Female (separate) training |0.6 At college disposal (lectures/discussions etc). |4.5 Sport |8.1
Land Mines
Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 2 May, Official Report , column 202 , how many projector area defence land mines were produced for his Department by Royal Ordnance factories in 1986; when the research was undertaken that revealed that a command detonated point defence weapon such as a projector area defence weapon fell within the standard NATO definition of a land mine; and if he will list the numbers of (a) anti-tank, (b) anti-personnel, (c) area denial and (d) any other type of land mine stockpiled by any organisation or body responsible to his Department. [23120]
Mr. Freeman: The research which revealed that the projector area defence weapon falls within the NATO standard definition of a land mine was undertaken as part of the preparation for my reply to the question asked by the hon. Member, answered on 2 May 1995, Official Report , column 202 .
It is our established policy for security reasons not to reveal quantities of munitions held.
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OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
Aid Programmes
Miss Lestor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of the bilateral aid programme budget was allocated to the aid and trade programme for 1994 95. [23182]
Mr. Baldry: The original 1994 95 allocation for ATP was set at £100 million, or 9.6 per cent. of the bilateral aid programme. However, as my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary announced on 13 December 1994, the cost of four ATP projects--two soft loans and two mixed credits--in 1994 95 and 1995 96 will be met from outside the 1980 Overseas Development and Cooperation Act. As a result, the ATP allocation for 1994 95 was revised to £67,984 million, or 6.1 per cent. of the bilateral aid programme.
Miss Lestor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those countries eligible for support under the aid and trade programme. [23181]
Mr. Baldry: The list of low income countries eligible for ATP based on GNP per capita of $700, at 1989 prices, is:
1. Low income countries where export credit cover is available Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Ghana, Indonesia, India, Lesotho, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Zimbabwe
2. Other low income countries
Afghanistan, Angola, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Eq. Guinea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Yemen, Zaire and Zambia.
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