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Biodiesel
Mr. Cummings: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to encourage the production of biodiesel fuel; and if he will make a statement. [11091]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: I have no such plans. The environmental case for biodiesel has not been established, although the Government continue to fund research in this area.
Student Loans
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 16 January, Official Report, column 528, on the postponement of the introduction of private loans, when he plans to conclude his consideration. [10983]
Mr. Waldegrave [holding answer 22 January 1996]: In due course.
Eurotunnel
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations the Government have received from Eurotunnel in relation to its debt; what requests were contained in those representations; and what response he has made. [10980]
Mr. Waldegrave [holding answer 22 January 1996]: The Government have received representations from Eurotunnel on a number of issues, including the company's current financial difficulties.
It has been made clear to the company that any financial restructuring of Eurotunnel is a matter for the company to resolve in discussion with its bankers, and without Government intervention. From the start, it was always envisaged that the channel tunnel would be an entirely private sector project and that the concessionaries would have no recourse to Government funds or guarantees of a commercial nature. That remains the position.
Mobile phones
Mr. William Ross:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of the mobile phones which have
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been supplied to his Department in each of the last five years have been cloned; and on what dates. [11012]
Mrs. Angela Knight:
A total of three mobile phones have been cloned during the last five years. Two of these have been cloned three times and the other once. The dates are:
(1) 15-17 November 1994, 21-22 April 1995 and 4-6 May 1995.
(2) 11-12 March 1995, 21 April 1995 and 17-18 September 1995.
(3) 24-26 October 1995.
Income Tax Relief
Mr. Hutton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the full year yield of restricting income tax relief available at the 40 per cent. marginal rate to (a) £2,000, (b) £3,000, (c) £4,000, (d) £6,000 and (e) £8,000 (i) including and (ii) excluding profit-related pay giving in each case the number of people affected. [11003]
Mr. Jack: Available information was given in my answer to the hon. Member for York (Mr. Bayley) on 17 January 1996, Official Report, column 607.
DEFENCE
Royal Squadron
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions since 8 December 1995 aircraft of the Royal Squadron were used by members of the royal family for private travel; and if he will list in each case the point of departure of the aircraft and the destination, the sum which was reimbursed and the members of the royal family involved. [10649]
Mr. Soames: Since 8 December 1995 there have been two occasions when aircraft of No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron have been used by members of the royal family for private travel. The details of these flights, including the sums to be reimbursed to the Ministry of Defence by the royal households, are as follows:
| Departure Point | Destination | Charge £ | Members of royal family |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackpool | London | 1,186.67 | Her Majesty The Queen HRH The Duke of Edinburgh |
| Mildenhall | Zurich | 1,584.00 | HRH The Prince of Wales Prince William Prince Henry |
Mr. David Hart
Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set those qualifications held by Mr. David Hart which led to his employment as a special adviser. [11086]
Mr. Portillo:
I refer the hon. Member to the oral answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Minister of
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State for Defence Procurement on 9 January 1996, Official Report, column 3.
Mr. Betts:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if Mr. David Hart has an office in the Department. [11082]
Mr. Betts:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence of which projects in the Department Mr. David Hart has direct control; and in which areas of work he has responsibility. [11081]
Mr. Betts:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many meetings Mr. David Hart has had with foreign defence equipment suppliers since he was appointed; [11085]
Mr. Portillo:
Since David Hart was appointed as an independent adviser my Department has not maintained a record of such meetings.
Mr. Betts:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what interests Mr. David Hart has declared in respect of consultants (a) currently working for his Department and (b) committed to work for his Department. [11083]
Mr. Betts:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many departmental staff, of which grades, work directly for Mr. David Hart. [11080]
Mr. Betts:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultancy agreements his Department has entered into for (a) the current and (b) future financial years on (i) efficiency studies, (ii) value for money studies, (iii) financial control systems and (iv) other related matters; and in each case what are the costs (1) now committed and (2) estimated to be incurred. [11084]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
Budget holders throughout the Ministry of Defence have delegated authority to engage external advisers, on a paid consultancy basis or otherwise, to conduct independent reviews of aspects of the Department's work. Information on such studies is not collected centrally, or in the format required, and the details could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Dr. Godman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement concerning the result of the market test of the marine services business. [10509]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
The market test of the marine services business has reached the stage of final tender evaluation. The select of the successful bidder will be taken following this evaluation and will be announced as soon as possible thereafter.
23 Jan 1996 : Column: 138
Dr. David Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the compensation payments made to pregnant service women dismissed between 1979 and 1990 by rank and the service in which they served. [11329]
Mr. Soames:
Some 5,000 compensation payments averaging under £11,000 each have been made to service women discharged on pregnancy between 1978 and 1990. My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State will write to the hon. Member with a list of the individual payments which have been made to date, broken down by service, but details of the rank relating to each payment could be provided only at disproportionate cost. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Dr. Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what distinction his Department makes in fitness standard requirements between service women returning to work following a period of maternity leave and female service personnel who have not been pregnant. [11326]
Mr. Soames:
Women who return to duty following a period of maternity leave are, in common with other female personnel, normally expected to meet the level of fitness necessary to carry out their duties. However, in accordance with health and safety regulations, special considerations apply to pregnant women, women who have recently given birth, and breast-feeding mothers. It is possible, therefore, that some women returning to duty from maternity leave may be temporarily placed in a reduced medical category which necessitates their employment on restricted duties for a period of time.
Dr. Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the fitness requirements and testing applied to service women returning to work following a period of maternity leave; and how many such service women have failed these tests. [11324]
Mr. Soames:
Service women returning to duty following maternity leave undergo a medical examination to confirm that they are fit to return to duty. The ability of a service woman to return to her normal duties will be assessed in the light of the medical examination. If necessary, a woman returning to work after a period of maternity leave will be temporarily placed on restricted duties. No data are available centrally in respect of the number of women who fail to meet the medical standards necessary for them to resume their normal duties.
Dr. Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many female service personnel gave up children for adoption in each of the years from 1978 to 1990; and what was his Department's policy towards such personnel during this period. [11327]
Mr. Soames:
Information in respect of the numbers of women who gave up children for adoption in each of the years from 1978 to 1990 is not held centrally. During this period, pregnant service women were compulsorily discharged from the armed forces. Some women may have decided to have their child adopted prior to applying to re-enter the armed forces and any application for re-entry would have been treated in the same way as all other applications. Any decision by a serving mother to
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give up her child for adoption is a private matter for the woman concerned.
Dr. Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service women have returned to work following a period of maternity leave in each of the years since maternity leave became available. [11325]
Mr. Soames:
My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State will write to the hon. Member and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
(2) how many meetings Mr. David Hart has had with British defence equipment suppliers since he was appointed as a special adviser. [11165]
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