27 Feb 1996 : Column: 421
Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 27 February 1996
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Hong Kong
Mr. Byers:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions in the past 12 months the Governor of Hong Kong has
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met or invited to receptions, lunches or dinners David Tang, Jimmy Lai, Morris Nouraria, Stanley Ho and Li Kash Ing. [17814]
Mr. Hanley:
The Governor has naturally met some of these people on a number of occasions in the course of his official duties.
Dr. Wright:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department publish (a) annual reports, (b) annual accounts, (c) the minutes of meetings, (d) the agendas of meetings and (e) a register of members' interests, indicating in each case if this is (i) under a statutory requirement or (ii) voluntary. [16822]
Mr. Hanley:
The table covers the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (diplomatic wing) and the Overseas Development Administration.
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| Name of body | Publish annual reports | Publish annual accounts | Publish minutes of meetings | Publish agendas of meetings | Publish a register of members interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Britain-Russia Centre | Yes (statutory) | Yes (statutory) | No | No | No |
| British Association for Central and Eastern Europe | Yes (statutory) | Yes (statutory) | No | No | No |
| British Council | Yes (non-statutory) | Yes (non-statutory) | No | No | No |
| Commonwealth Institutes, London and Edinburgh | Yes (statutory) | Yes (statutory) | No | No | No |
| Great Britain-China Centre | Yes (statutory) | Yes (statutory) | No | No | No |
| Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission | Yes (statutory) | No | No | No | No |
| Westminister Foundation for Democracy | Yes (statutory) | Yes (statutory) | No | No | No |
| Commonwealth Scholarship Commission | Yes (statutory) | No | No | No | No |
| Crown Agents Holding and Realisation Board | Yes (statutory) | Yes (statutory) | No | No | No |
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DEFENCE
Arms Sales
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if Ministers approved the on-sale by Jordan of 29 British-supplied armoured recovery vehicles to Iraq.[16393]
Mr. Arbuthnot: In 1981, the Jordanian Government requested permission from the UK to supply to Iraq 29 armoured recovery vehicles planned to be exported to Jordan under a memorandum of understanding. Approval was given, as required by the memorandum, since the supply was consistent with Government policy at that time, which was that no lethal equipment would be exported to Iraq, the vehicles in question being classified as non-lethal. The arrangement was made before the establishment of the Iran-Iraq export guidelines in 1984.
Procurement and Industrial Policy
Mr. Atkins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action he plans to ensure that recommendations Nos. 18 and 19 of the first report from the Defence Select
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Committee of Session 1995-96, HC 61, on aspects of defence procurement and industrial policy are implemented. [16456]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
The Government memorandum in response to these and the other recommendations contained in the Defence and Trade and Industry Committees' joint report on "Aspects of Defence Procurement and Industrial Policy", was published by the Committees on 7 February 1996.
Mr. Cousins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which non-NATO countries have received (a) advice, (b) training, (c) supplies and (d) support from the RAF Institute for Aviation Medicine since 1984. [16315]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
I will write to the hon. Member.
Mr. David Shaw:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the military services and training provided by his Department between 1974 and 1979 to (a) the middle east, (b) Iran and (c) Iraq; and what was the nature and value of those services. [16988]
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Mr. Soames:
It is not our practice to comment on the policy of previous Governments.
Dr. Wright:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department publish (a) annual reports, (b) annual accounts, (c) the minutes of meetings, (d) the agendas of meetings and (e) a register of members' interests, indicating in each case if this is (i) under a statutory requirement or (ii) voluntary. [16830]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
The information requested is as follows:
There is a statutory right for the public to inspect the annual accounts of all the service museums, held by the Charities Commission; the National Army museum and the RAF museum publish their annual reports voluntarily. Statutory public access to the annual report and accounts of the Service Sound and Vision Corporation is available at Companies House. The Oil and Pipelines Agency's annual report and accounts are laid before each House of Parliament.
None of the MOD's executive NDPBs publishes the agendas or minutes of meetings; and there is no statutory requirement to do so.
Appointees to the OPA and SSVC are required to declare any personal interests and records are maintained. In the case of SSVC, any members' interest are also registered at Companies House.
Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will make a substantive reply to the letter regarding aircraft crash pollution sent on 27 March 1995 by the general secretary of the Celtic League; if he will publish the text of his reply; and if he will make a statement. [17571]
Mr. Soames:
My officials responded on 22 February this year. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the sites and aircraft type involved in serious crash incidents in (a) Wales, (b) Scotland, (c) Cornwall, (d) Northern Ireland, (e) the rest of England and (f) the United Kingdom since 1980, indicating (i) the incidents for which RAF post-crash management techniques have been implemented and (ii) the cases where toxic pollution was (1) measured and (2) recorded; and if he will make a statement. [17572]
Mr. Soames:
I will write to the hon. Member.
Mr. Charles Wardle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the key targets for the chief executive of the Army Base Repair Organisation for 1996-97. [18034]
Mr. Soames:
The chief executive of the Army Base Repair Organisation has been set the following key targets for 1996-97.
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Mr. Welsh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 5 February, Official Report, column 90, how often the Ministry of Defence joint working group has met since June 1995; and at how many of these meetings the subject of the Edzell base closure was on the agenda. [17407]
Mr. Soames:
The Ministry of Defence joint working party group was set up specifically to deal with the closure of RAF Edzell, and it has met three times.
Mr. Devlin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the use of Whisper concrete on the M18 and A50 and its future use in road building.[16711]
Mr. Watts:
I have asked the chief executive of the Highways' Agency to write to my hon. Friend.
1. To remain within ABRO's allocated budget.
2. To deliver a responsive repair service, which both matches the needs of the customer in peace and for operations to the agreed timelines, quantity and quality criteria and offers value for money.
3. To implement a comprehensive output based system to measure customer satisfaction.
4. To submit to the Minister of State for the Armed Forces the results of the land command support market Test by 31 January 1997.
5. To complete the transfer of all repair activities from ABRO Old Dalby and close the workshop by 31 December 1996.
6. To reduce by 2 per cent. the 1996-97 ratio of labour costs to hours of production by 31 March 1997.
7. To obtain tenders for the re-installation of the strategic test facilities for Challenger and Warrior transmission and steer units by 31 March 1997.
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