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Statutory Instruments
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many statutory instruments her Department introduced in (a) 1994, (b) 1995 and (c) between 1 January 1996 and 1 May 1996 which had the effect of repealing one or more previous statutory instruments without replacing them with a new regulation. [35043]
Mr. Sproat [holding answer 4 July 1996]: None.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Stagecoach Holdings plc
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much (a) his Department and (b) the Monopolies and Mergers Commission have spent in total in carrying out investigations into Stagecoach Holdings plc; and how much his Department has spent defending actions taken by his Department against the company in the courts of law. [36019]
Mr. John M. Taylor: Information about (i) could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. In relation to (ii), information about the total costs incurred by the Department in defending court actions brought by Stagecoach could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
British Energy
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will withdraw the sale of British Energy if the sale proceeds are less than the lowest market capitalisation value as set out on page 9 of the share offer prospectus. [36557]
Mr. Lang: I am confident that the privatisation of British Energy will achieve value for money for the taxpayer.
Electro-shock Equipment
Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade under what export licence category electric shock weapons are classified. [36483]
Mr. Oppenheim: Entry PL5001.d of the Export Goods (Control) Order, 1994, as amended.
South West Industrial Development Board
Mr. Jamieson: To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 18 June, Official Report, columns 459-60, if Mr. Kenneth Holmes was chairman of his Department's South West industrial development board at the time of (a) the offer and (b) the payment of regional selective assistance to Marine Projects (Plymouth) Ltd. for (i) the first and (ii) the second project.[35264]
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Mr. Oppenheim [holding answer 1 July 1996]: Mr. Holmes was a member of the industrial development board from January 1980 and chairman from January 1984 until January 1991. I explained in my answer of 18 June, Official Report, column 460, that he played no role in the granting of regional selective assistance to Marine Projects (Plymouth) Ltd. during that period. But to amplify that answer, Mr. Holmes--in view of potential conflict of interest--saw no departmental papers relating to the applications and absented himself from the relevant board discussions.
Companies (Financial Assistance)
Mr. Jamieson: To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 18 June, Official Report, column 463, if he will state (a) the amount that had already been paid to the eight companies by his Department, (b) the amount remaining unpaid and (c) the amount that has been recovered by (i) date of last payment and (ii) date of the receiver's appointment or the company liquidation. [35261]
Mr. Oppenheim [holding answer 1 July 1996]: In all eight cases, the amounts paid and remaining unpaid were the same on the date of last, if any, payment and the date on which receivers or administrators were appointed.
| Amount paid | Amount remaining unpaid | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| Orca Aircraft Ltd. | 50,000 | 150,000 |
| Strategic Alloys Ltd. | 400,000 | 100,000 |
| South West Farm Processors Ltd. | 100,000 | 100,000 |
| Crissan Marine Ltd. | nil | 120,000 |
| Lobbs Clotted Cream Ltd. | 170,000 | 215,000 |
| ROM-Data Corporation Ltd. | 750,000 | 98,500 |
| Redruth Brewery Ltd. | 380,000 | 100,000 |
| Porthcurno Management Co. Ltd. | nil | 500,000 |
In the case of Orca Aircraft Ltd., £42,500 has been recovered subsequent to appointment of the receivers.
Mr. Jamieson:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 18 June, Official Report, columns 461-64, what assessment he has made of the effect on the effectiveness of Mr. Roger Harris, as chairman of his Department's South West industrial development board, of the number of occasions on which he is caused to absent himself from board meetings due to a potential conflict of interest; and if he will make a statement. [35262]
Mr. Oppenheim
[holding answer 1 July 1996]: Since becoming chairman of the board in February 1991, Mr. Harris has absented himself from discussion of 35 cases because of potential conflicts of interest, but the board has discussed 77 other cases during that period as well as a wide range of other industrial development issues affecting the south-west and Mr. Harris has proved a very effective chairman. When he has had to absent himself, other board members have stood in for him and the board has continued to be able to provide valuable advice.
10 Jul 1996 : Column: 180
Public Record Office Files
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons the files with the class marks ES1/367-380 recorded at the Public Record Office concerning effluent from a pipeline to the River Thames are currently retained by his Department; and if he will release them. [36137]
Mr. Soames: In line with the open government initiative, arrangements are being made to review the papers listed at the Public Record Office under references ESI/367-380 to see whether release into the public domain is now possible. I will write to the hon. Member on completion of the review process.
Mr. Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons the file with the class mark AIR 28/1317 recorded at the Public Record Office concerning RAF Wittering between January 1959 and December 1960 is currently retained by his Department; and if he will release it. [36138]
Mr. Soames: In line with the open government initiative, arrangements are being made to review the papers listed at the Public Record Office under reference AIR 28/1317 to see whether release into the public domain is now possible. I will write to hon. Member on completion of the review process.
Taxi Fares
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent in meeting the costs of taxi cab fares in the 1995-96 financial year. [36009]
Mr. Soames: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Nuclear Safety
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many studies have been carried out by the Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston since 1966 to examine the effect of an accident involving nuclear weapons; and how many of these studies have examined the dispersal of nuclear materials in the event of such an accident. [36135]
Mr. Arbuthnot: Rather than individual studies, the Atomic Weapons Establishment maintains a continual programme of research into, and assessment of, the effects of a nuclear weapons accident, including dispersal of nuclear materials. Numerous weapon accident exercises are conducted to test procedures and personnel.
Mr. Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the names of the exercises held since 1966 for testing the Department's arrangements for dealing with an accident involving nuclear weapons controlled by (a) Britain and (b) the United States of America; in what year each of these exercises was held; and which service was primarily in charge of each of these exercises. [36136]
Mr. Soames: The 1995 "Statement on the Defence Estimates" described the programme of regular nuclear accident response organisation exercises and the basis on which these are categorised. The definition of these categories has developed over the years but, from the
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records which are available, the following exercises since 1986 would have been commensurate with what we currently consider to be major or medium level.
| Exercise Name | Lead service | Weapon controlled by: |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | ||
| Bowline | RN | UK |
| Carrick Bend | RN | UK |
| Sharp Foil | RN | UK |
| 1987 | ||
| Bowline | RN | UK |
| Carrick Bend | RN | UK |
| Running Fox | RN | UK |
| 1988 | ||
| Pantograph | RAF | UK |
| Carrick Bend | RN | UK |
| Sharp Foil | RN | UK |
| Running Fox | RN | UK |
| Bowline | RN | UK |
| 1989 | ||
| Running Fox | RN | UK |
| Proper Watch | RAF | USA |
| Bowline | RN | UK |
| Carrick Bend | RN | UK |
| 1990 | ||
| Running Fox | RN | UK |
| Bowline | RN | UK |
| Sharp Foil | RN | UK |
| 1991 | ||
| Bowline | RN | UK |
| Running Fox | RN | UK |
| 1992 | ||
| Bowline | RN | UK |
| Miscast | RAF | UK |
| 1993 | ||
| Running Fox | RN | UK |
| Bowline | RN | UK |
| 3 x Standardisation Exercises (1) | RAF | UK |
| 1994 | ||
| Diver Mist | RAF | USA |
| 6 x Standardisation Exercises (1) | RAF | UK |
| Sharp Foil | RN | UK |
| Running Fox | RN | UK |
| 1995 | ||
| 7 x Standardisation Exercises (1) | RAF | UK |
| Sharp Foil | RN | UK |
| Running Fox | RN | UK |
| 1996 (to date) | ||
| Running Fox | RN | UK |
| 1 x Standardisation Exercise (1) | RAF | UK |
| Senator | RAF | UK |
Note (1):
Standardisation exercises test the RAF Immediate Force response fire teams for the transportation of nuclear weapons. These exercises were re-categorised from minor to medium level during 1993.
10 Jul 1996 : Column: 182
Mr. Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how frequently the Nuclear Weapons Safety Committee produces a report on its activities; when the first such report was produced; and what are the current security classifications of each of these reports. [36490]
Mr. Soames: The Nuclear Weapons Safety Committee does not produce a regular series of reports. However, meetings of the committee have been minuted since it was established in 1959. The preparation of separate reports would be dependent on the nature of committee business but this is invariably sensitive. The security classification of the committee's paperwork ranges from restricted to top secret.
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