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Land Disposal (Local Authorities)

Mr. Dunn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he proposes to alter the arrangements whereby local authorities obtain consent to dispose of land at less than best price. [7696]

Sir Paul Beresford: My Department and the Welsh Office have today issued the Local Government Act 1972 general disposal consent 1995, a copy of which has been placed in the Library, with the covering letter and explanatory commentary. This gives effect to proposals on which local authority associations and other interested organisations, including the Audit Commission, were consulted in March and which were generally welcomed.

This general consent defines certain circumstances in which local authorities may, in future, dispose of land for less than best price without making specific application to the Secretary of State. For example, local authorities will

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now have greater freedom to grant long leases to other local authorities, health authorities or charities, or for purposes for which they have powers to provide grants or loans.

The consent is designed to strike a balance between protecting the public purse and giving greater autonomy to local authorities to manage their own affairs.

Valuation Tribunals

Mr. Dunn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what response was received to the consultation paper on the appointment and jurisdiction of valuation tribunals in respect of local government reorganisation in parts of England. [7697]

Sir Paul Beresford: The list of responses received has been placed in the Library of the House; copies of individual response may be obtained through the Library. Regulations will be introduced shortly to give effect to the following measures.

(i) The Avon Valuation Tribunal is to be renamed the "Severnside Valuation Tribunal", and its members appointed by the four successor authorities in that area. Its complement will be increased to 40 members, with these shadow authorities entitled to appoint one member each immediately. As vacancies arise, they are to be replaced by appointments by the authorities in the following order in rotation: North West Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset.


(ii) The Cleveland Valuation Tribunal is to be renamed the "Teeside Valuation Tribunal", and its members appointed by the four successor authorities in that area. Its complement will be increased by one, which may be appointed by the shadow Hartlepool UA immediately. As vacancies arise, they are to be replaced by appointments by the authorities in the following order in rotation: Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees and Hartlepool.


(iii) The areas of the Selby District Council and the City of York Unitary Authority will be transferred from the area of jurisdiction of the North Yorkshire Valuation Tribunal into that of East Yorkshire Valuation Tribunal. The complement of the North Yorkshire tribunal will remain the same.


(iv) The Humberside Valuation Tribunal is to be renamed the "East Yorkshire Valuation Tribunal", and its area of jurisdiction will cover the unitary authorities of East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston-upon-Hull and York, and the district of Selby. Its members are to be appointed by the unitary authorities and the North Yorkshire County Council (in the ratio of 3:2:1:1). Its complement will be increased to 49, with York and North Yorkshire councils entitled to appoint one member each immediately. As vacancies arise, they are to be replaced by appointments by the authorities in the following order: twelve by York and North Yorkshire councils alternately, and the remainder by East Riding and Hull councils in the ratio 3:2.


(v) The area of jurisdiction of the Lincolnshire Valuation Tribunal is to be extended to include the area south of the Humber which previously formed part of the area of the Humberside tribunal. Its complement will be increased to 90, with North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire entitled to appoint 14 members each immediately. The first vacancy to arise will be replaced by these authorities, and the remainder by Lincolnshire County Council.

DEFENCE

Gazelle Helicopter (Alleged Misuse)

Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce the outcome of the

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investigation by the special investigation branch of the Royal Military police in Edinburgh into the alleged misuse of a Gazelle helicopter by an Army officer with regard to a golf course in Scotland earlier in 1995 and other similar incidents. [5312]

Mr. Soames: Investigations into this incident have been completed and the findings have been considered by the Army chain of command. A Gazelle helicopter deviated from its task to take two Army officers to a golf tournament. There was no dishonest intent on the part of the officer responsible. He did, however, make an error of judgment and he has been subject to the appropriate disciplinary action. In addition, the procedures for authorising requests for helicopter flights have been amended to ensure that similar incidents cannot happen in future. There is no connection between this incident and other allegations of the misuse of Army assets, which have not been substantiated.

Absence without Leave

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidelines apply to the payment of members of the armed forces who are on unauthorised absence from service; how many such absences there have been in each year since 1990-91; how much pay has been received by individuals while on unauthorised absence; and if he will make a statement. [7165]

Mr. Soames: When a member of the armed forces absents him or herself without authority, action is taken to stop pay, including increments and additional pay, from day one of the absence. On recovery from absence, disciplinary action is usually taken and, if the case against the individual is proven, pay for the entire period of absence is forfeited; it follows that no pay is received by individuals while on unauthorised absence. Details of the numbers of such absences there have been in each year since 1990 are currently being collated and I will write to the hon. Member with this information.

Royal Naval College, Greenwich

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the steps to be taken following receipt of expressions of interest in the buildings of the Royal Naval college, Greenwich. [7199]

Mr. Portillo: In my capacity as sole trustee of the Crown charity, Greenwich hospital, and with the agreement of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for National Heritage and for the Environment, I have invited Lord Faringdon, Dame Jennifer Jenkins, Lord Sainsbury and Jocelyn Stevens to form an advisory group to advise me on the expressions of interest and on the future use and management of the Royal Naval college, Greenwich. Hayden Phillips and Sir Moray Stewart--from the Department of National Heritage and the Ministry of Defence--would also participate in the work of the group.

It will be asked to give particular attention to the extent to which the proposals are sympathetic to the status of the building and their wide enjoyment by the public. A short list may be produced early in the new year; a final decision is not expected until summer 1996.

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Directorate of Operational Capability

Mr. Jopling: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the role and responsibility of the directorate of operational capability; to whom it reports; and what organisation it has replaced in his Department. [7139]

Mr. Soames: The directorate of operational capability was formed earlier this year. Its primary function is to provide a strengthened ability to assess defence-wide operational capability through a process of operational audit. This task was previously the responsibility of Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Operations).

The directorate also provides the military element of the secretariat for the Defence Council. The director of operational capability reports directly to the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Commitments).

Small and Medium Enterprises

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what work his Department has done to develop best practice in the publication of departmental procurement guidance material relevant to small and medium enterprises' needs. [6640]

Mr. Arbuthnot: My Department produces a publication, "Selling to the Ministry of Defence", which, in addition to setting out our basic procurement procedures, also provides a range of useful contact points within the Department. This publication, has been well received by small and medium enterprises. I will place a copy in the Library of the House.

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what meetings his Department has had since May 1995 with organisations representing small firms to review tendering procedures. [6641]

Mr. Arbuthnot: The Department maintains regular contact with a variety of trade associations representing companies involved in the defence sector that count among their membership small firms. Those discussions will from time to time include consideration of the Department's tendering procedures.

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the outcome of his Department's review of measures taken to facilitate small firms' access to appropriate areas of Government procurement in the light of best practice. [6657]

Mr. Arbuthnot [holding answer 18 December 1995]: The Ministry of Defence has always encouraged small firms to bid for work appropriate to their skills and capabilities. No specific review of this area of the Department's procurement activity is currently being undertaken.

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