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Investors in People
Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps his Department is taking to achieve investor in people status; when it started the process; when it expects to achieve investor in people status; and if he will make a statement. [2975]
Sir Paul Beresford: The Department committed itself to achieving investor in people status in 1992. The Department has recently concluded a wide-ranging review of its structure and ways of working, including a staff attitudes survey, and a target date for obtaining the investor in people award will be linked to progress on its implementation.
30 Nov 1995 : Column: 804
Mr. Garrett:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which Norfolk beaches were tested in 1995 for enteroviruses under the EC bathing water directive. [2968]
Mr. Clappison:
The National Rivers Authority sampled the following identified bathing waters in Norfolk for enteroviruses during the 1995 bathing season:
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Cromer
Great Yarmouth Pier
Great Yarmouth South
Gorleston Beach
Urban Development Corporations
Mr. Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the areas for which urban development corporations have been established since 1979, indicating in each case which are also covered by a unitary local authority. [3383]
Sir Paul Beresford: The urban development corporations and related unitary local authorities, where applicable, are listed in the table.
| UDC | Covered by unitary local authority | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| London Docklands | Yes | Newham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets | |
| Merseyside | Yes | Liverpool, Sefton, Wirral | |
| Black Country | Yes | Sandwell, Walsall, Wolverhampton | |
| Teesside | No | -- | |
| Trafford Park | Yes | Trafford, Salford | |
| Tyne and Wear | |||
| Yes | |||
| Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, | |||
| South Tyneside, Sunderland | |||
| Bristol | No | -- | |
| Sheffield | Yes | Sheffield | |
| Central Manchester | Yes | Manchester, Trafford | |
| Leeds | Yes | Leeds | |
| Birmingham | |||
| Heartlands | |||
| Yes | |||
| Birmingham | |||
| Plymouth | No | -- | |
Nitrate Vulnerable Zones
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment what progress has been made on the establishment of action programmes in respect of the proposed nitrate vulnerable zones; and if he will make a statement. [3907]
Mr. Gummer: My right hon. Friends the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Secretary of State for Wales and I issued today a consultation document giving details of the action programme to be established under the terms of the EC nitrate directive, and which will apply in nitrate vulnerable zones. It also gives details of the draft regulations which transpose the formal requirements of the nitrate directive into domestic law. This is the latest of several rounds of consultation about implementation of the directive. The document is being sent to farmers in parishes or communities affected by the proposed zones, farmers' representatives, environmental and consumer groups, and to the water industry.
The draft action programme contains measures on use of inorganic fertiliser and organic manure, and on storage of slurry in nitrate vulnerable zones, in accordance with the directive. The proposed measures are those described in the brief outline of the action programme included in the May 1994 consultation document on the boundaries of proposed zones. In developing the measures, we have made use of experience and knowledge gained from other Government initiatives to reduce agricultural nitrate pollution. The measures should bring about reductions in nitrate leaching in vulnerable zones.
I am placing copies of the consultation document in the Library.
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Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the value of the arms trade to Nigeria to the United Kingdom economy since 1993. [2877]
Mr. Arbuthnot
[holding answer 28 November 1995]: It is not Government policy to reveal details of the value of defence exports by country. Information on the value of exports, by region, is contained in UK defence statistics--a copy of which is in the House Library.
In December 1993, European partners introduced a series of measures against the Nigerian military. All applications for new licences to export defence equipment to Nigeria were reviewed, on a case-by-case basis, with the presumption of denial. On 11 November 1995, the Prime Minister announced a full United Kingdom arms embargo against the Nigerian military and on 20 November, the European Union announced the adoption of a common position on the extension of measures in three areas; including an EU-wide embargo on arms supplies.
Mr. Byers:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to achieve investor in people status; when it started the process; when it expects to achieve investor in people status; and if he will make a statement. [2973]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
The principles of investors in people are strongly supported by the Ministry of Defence.
Given its size and complexity, the Ministry of Defence has taken a strategic decision to work towards the IIP standard through its management units rather than as a single entity. Over the last 18 months, the Department has put in place management systems which demonstrate its commitment to the good management and development of people and, in September, published its commitment to the principles of the investors in people standard in its personnel policy statement.
Activity in the Department towards the standard is increasing. Two units have achieved recognition as investors in people and a further nine have made a formal commitment to working towards it. We intend to increase the number of units making formal commitments.
Mr. Morgan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 23 November, Official Report, column 272, what is the amount of the claim presented to Bricom. [3353]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
Details relating to the claim are confidential between my Department and Bricom.
Mr. Hutton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to award a contract for the construction of replacements for HMS Fearless and HMS Intrepid. [3448]
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Mr. Arbuthnot:
We are currently in negotiation with VSEL to replace HMS Fearless and HMS Intrepid. The timing of any order will be subject to the satisfactory outcome of these negotiations.
Dr. David Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many empty residential properties for service personnel his Department currently has in (a) Yeovil and its environs and (b) Somerset. [3345]
Mr. Soames:
My Department currently owns 53 vacant service families quarters in Yeovil and its environs and an additional 25 elsewhere in Somerset. Of the vacant quarters, 24 at Ilchester are awaiting demolition as part of a larger plan for the redevelopment of the area. The remainder are either already allocated to service families due to move in shortly or form part of the management margin needed to ensure that accommodation is available to house entitled service personnel.
Dr. Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many residential properties for service personnel his Department is currently building in Yeovil; [3347]
(2) how many residential properties for service personnel his Department intends to build in Yeovil; [3348]
(3) what is the cost to his Department of the residential properties for service personnel currently being built in Yeovil. [3349]
Mr. Soames:
My Department is not currently building any residential properties for service personnel in Yeovil. However, we intend to build 120 properties to accommodate service personnel moving from Portland in late 1997 and 1998. We also plan to demolish 72 substandard properties in Ilchester and replace them with 84 new houses. It is not our practice to give estimated costs as this could prejudice the tendering process which is due to take place early in 1996.
Dr. David Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what will be the total trained strength of the British Army in April 1996. [3350]
Mr. Soames:
The total trained strength of the Army will be some 104,000 at 1 April 1996, based on recent assessments of recruiting and retention rates. This includes Gurkhas, but excludes members of the Royal Irish Regiment (Home Service).
Dr. David Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many letters have been sent to reservists in the last two weeks advising them to be prepared for possible full-time deployment within Her Majesty's Forces. [3351]
Mr. Soames:
Some 1,322 letters have been sent to members of the Army Reserve and the Regular Army Reserve of Officers inviting them to be called out for service with the implementation force in former Yugoslavia. Members of the Territorial Army have been trawled through the chain of command and those
30 Nov 1995 : Column: 808
expressing an interest have then been handed a letter giving further information. There is no central record of the number of letters which have been distributed to members of the TA.
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