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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 12 March 1996
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
Ghana
Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement regarding Ghana's recent human rights record. [19843]
Mr. Hanley: We welcome the improvements that have taken place in the human rights situation in Ghana in recent years. There is respect for the constitution, the rule of law applies, there is press freedom and a high level of personal liberty. Political activity is permitted and further multi-party elections are due in December 1996.
Burundi
Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement regarding the meeting between the Minister for Overseas Development and the Foreign Minister of Burundi on 22 February. [19842]
Mr. Hanley: Mr. Bakevyumusaya briefed my right hon. and noble Friend Baroness Chalker on the success of his Government's recent "Pacification Campaign". She assured the Minister of our continued support for international efforts to promote dialogue and reconciliation in Burundi and the neighbouring region.
Equatorial Guinea
Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the elections in Equatorial Guinea; and what assessment he has made of the withdrawal of opposition candidates from the presidential elections. [19841]
Mr. Hanley: We regret that the presidential elections which took place in Equatorial Guinea on 25 February were not conducted in a free and fair manner. We urge the Government and all political parties to work towards the establishment of democracy.
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Public Bodies
Dr. Wright: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department have a statutory base, and which (a) publish their advice to Government, (b) publish an annual report and (c) lay an annual report before Parliament (i) under a statutory requirement and (ii) voluntarily. [20096]
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Mr. Jonathan Evans: The Lord Chancellor's departments sponsor the following advisory non-departmental public bodies:
Insolvency Rules Committee
County Court Rule Committee
Supreme Court Rule Committee
Land Registration Rule Committee
Family Proceedings Rule Committee
Crown Court Rule Committee
Advisory Council on Public Records
Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct
Council on Tribunals
Law Commission
Legal Aid Advisory Committee (NI)
Advisory Committees on General Commissioners of Income Tax (NI)
Advisory Committees on JPs in Northern Ireland
Advisory Committees on Juvenile Court Lay Panel (NI)
Advisory Committees on General Commissioners of Income Tax
Advisory Committees on JPs in England (excluding the Duchy of Lancaster) and Wales
Judicial Studies Board
Honorary Investment Advisory Committee
(a) None is under a statutory requirement to publish its advice to Government;
(b) The Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct, the Law Commission and the Council of Tribunals are all required by statute to make annual reports to the Lord Chancellor. While there is no statutory requirement on the Advisory Council on Public Records to submit an annual report, there is a requirement that any report by it to the Lord Chancellor should be included in the Public Record Office's own annual report, for which there is a statutory requirement; and
(c) all of the annual reports in (b) are laid before Parliament by the Lord Chancellor, under a statutory requirement.
The Legal Aid Advisory Committee (NI) is required to consider the Law Society's annual report on legal aid in Northern Ireland and the Lord Chancellor is required to lay before Parliament a copy of any comments or recommendations made by the committee.
The other bodies do not publish advice or produce annual reports.
Dr. Wright:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department (a) hold public meetings, (b) conduct public consultation exercises, (c) conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interests, (d) publish a register of members' interests, (e) publish agendas for meetings and (f) publish the minutes of meetings (i) under a statutory requirement and (ii) voluntarily. [20113]
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Mr. Evans:
For the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by my Department, the answers are as follows:
Mr. Betts:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what values of payments were outstanding within his Department on 5 March, which were beyond the date on the invoice and, where no date was specified, older than 28 days. [20470]
Mr. Jonathan Evans:
The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, a recent survey within the Department has shown that 93.8 per cent. of all invoices are paid within agreed terms, or within 30 days of receipt of invoice, where no such terms exist.
Mr. Galbraith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what grants under (a) section 56 of the Transport Act 1968 and (b) other legislation have been awarded by the Scottish Office for railway infrastructure in Scotland between 1975 and 1995 in (i) the Strathclyde passenger transport executive area and (b) the rest of Scotland. [19301]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton:
The information is set out in the table:
(a) none
There is no statutory requirement for these bodies in these areas.
(b) The following advisory bodies have carried out public consultation exercises:
the Supreme Court Rule Committee
the County Court Rule Committee
the Family Proceedings Rule Committee
the Law Commission
the Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct the Judicial Studies Board.
(c) the Supreme Court Rule Committee, the County Court Rule Committee and the Family Proceedings Rule Committee regularly consult with individuals and organisations which have a professional or commercial interest in the amendment of rules of court.
The Law Commission does conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interests but this is encompassed within (b) above.
(d) none
(e) none
(f) none
| Number of projects | Grant awarded (outturn prices) £ million | |
|---|---|---|
| Section 56 grants | ||
| Within the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive (SPTE) area | 5 | 103.3 |
| Outwith SPTE area | 2 | 11.0 |
| Other legislation | ||
| Freight facilities grants within SPTE area | 14 | 3.1 |
| Freight facilities grants outwith SPTE area | 18 | 4.7 |
| Grants for repairs to listed buildings outwith SPTE area | 1 | 0.2 |
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Mr. Galbraith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was spent on (a) fixed rail infrastructure in Scotland, (b) investment in new railways, upgrading and re-opening of railways, new and improved stations and new signalling and (c) maintenance of track, signalling, structures and stations in Scotland at outturn prices in each year from 1975 to 1995. [19305]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: This information is not available. British Rail keeps only limited historic information on investment on a geographical basis.
Mr. Galbraith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what procedures govern applications for railway rolling stock to be used in the highlands objective 1 area where the stock is owned by a leasing company and leased to a train operating company. [19310]
Mr. Kynoch: All applications for European regional development fund support must be submitted by a public agency and a minimum level of matching funding must be included within the funding package. Any grant support paid is channelled through the sponsoring public agency.
In addition, all applications must be eligible under the terms of the single programme document and must also contribute to the outputs anticipated for the programme. applications for mobile infrastructure --that is that which could be readily moved outwith the programme area--would not normally be eligible.
Squirrels
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made as to whether extending the use of warfarin to control grey squirrels is in breach of the Grey Squirrels and Warfarin Order 1973; and if he will make a statement. [19983]
Mr. Kynoch: Extending the use of warfarin to control grey squirrels was approved under the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986 and is not in breach of the Grey Squirrels (Warfarin) Order 1973.
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what studies into the expansion of grey squirrel distribution have been conducted by his Department. [19161]
Mr. Kynoch [holding answer 6 March 1996]: The Forestry Commission has undertaken a survey of grey squirrel distribution every year since 1958. The Institute of Terrestrial Ecology's biological records centre also maintains records of the location of grey squirrels.
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Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the cost of grey squirrel damage to broadleaf trees in each year for the last five years. [19160]
Mr. Kynoch [holding answer 6 March 1996]: Damage by grey squirrels can kill broadleaf trees, reduce their growth rate, degrade their timber and allow diseases into them. It is difficult to estimate the total cost of this damage as the loss in value of the timber can be calculated only after the trees have been felled, and any assessment of the impact on growth rate and mortality can be only approximate. Recent estimates have suggested that the annual cost of the damage is between £3 million and £20 million.
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research he had (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effects of secondary poisoning caused from the use of warfarin for squirrel control. [19162]
Mr. Kynoch [holding answer 6 March 1996]: We have undertaken several research studies into the risk of secondary poisoning of non-target species by warfarin, and the Forestry Commission commissioned a review of these studies which was carried out by the Central Science Laboratory.
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