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OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
Know-how Fund
35. Mr. John Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the impact of the know-how fund.[36787]
Mr. Hanley: The know-how fund is making a substantial contribution to economic and political reform. There are many examples of its successful impact in the annual report for 1995-96, which was published on 15 July. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Marshall: I thank my right hon. Friend for that answer and for emphasising the success of the know-how fund. Does he agree that our improving relations with the emerging democracies of central Europe will be fully strengthened only when those countries become members of the European Union and contribute to that body?
Mr. Hanley: Certainly enlargement is part of our ambition for them.
Mr. Dalyell: What help is being given to deal with the problems of the crumbling sarcophagus at Chernobyl?
Mr. Hanley: I am sorry; could the hon. Gentleman repeat the question? I did not hear it properly.
Mr. Dalyell: What help is being given to deal with the crumbling sarcophagus at Chernobyl, which is creating a real nuclear danger?
Mr. Hanley: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for repeating his question. I do not know the detail about the matter. I shall have to find out from my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the hon. Member for Upminster (Sir N. Bonsor), who has responsibility for Ukraine. I shall write to the hon. Gentleman and let him have the answer.
CHURCH COMMISSIONERS
Religious Education
39. Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, how many clergy on the commission's payroll are currently estimated to undertake the conduct of acts of worship or the teaching of religious education in schools; and if he will make a statement.[36756]
Mr. Michael Alison (Second Church Estates Commissioner, representing the Church Commissioners): This is not a matter for the commissioners. They are not directly responsible in this area, and I am afraid that we do not have access to the relevant statistics, but I understand that the number is considerable.
Mr. Greenway: If a considerable number of clergy already teach in schools, could not more do so? Perhaps the Dean of Lincoln and his associates would be better employed in doing that. Is it not important that the teaching of right and wrong should come first in the Church's priorities and that clergy and bishops should take more of an interest in their schools than they do?
Mr. Alison: I sympathise with what my hon. Friend says, but as he will know, because he is an ex-headmaster, that, for clergy to take part in school assemblies, they have to be invited by the headmaster. If they are likely to be competent and helpful, they will be invited. I am glad to tell my hon. Friend that many dioceses, including Lincoln, run in-service courses as part of their programme of continuing ministerial education so that local clergy are fit to take school assemblies--no mean undertaking, as my hon. Friend knows.
Mr. Spearing: Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that, whatever the merits of ordained persons conducting services of worship in schools--clearly, denominational schools--that category of person would be regarded by many pupils as having a vested interest? Does he further agree that it is highly desirable that most religious
education be conducted by lay persons? Does he also agree that religion cannot be taught--it is something for consideration by the person concerned?
Mr. Alison: I entirely accept the point that the hon. Gentleman makes. Religious education is not an occasion for proselytisation. The participation of lay contributors to RE is of fundamental importance. Many lay parents of children in schools are drawn into RE and school worship to assist precisely in that way.
Ethical Investment
40. Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, what policies are followed by the commissioners in respect of ethical investment.[36757]
Mr. Alison: It is the commissioners' policy not to invest in any company of which the main business is in armaments, gambling, breweries and distilleries, tobacco or newspapers. I am arranging for a leaflet setting out our ethical policy to be sent to the hon. Gentleman.
Mr. Banks: That is very interesting. Does that mean that the 30 per cent. rule still applies, whereby the commissioners are prepared to invest in companies that have only 30 per cent. of their production in arms or some of the other areas that he has just listed? If that is so, does it mean that, provided that we behave ourselves for 70 per cent. of the time, the other 30 per cent. we can have a bit of slap and tickle?
While I have the right hon. Gentleman there, and as I have been such a strong supporter of the Church Commissioners over the years, is there any chance of his making sure that they offer up a few prayers for me for the shadow Cabinet elections? I suspect that I am going to need some divine intervention this year.
Mr. Alison:
I think that the rules guiding us on ethical investment would deter us from offering any prayers concerning the shadow Cabinet elections. As for the 30 per cent. figure, the hon. Gentleman is a little wide of the mark. If a company's investment in armaments is as high as 30 per cent., the Church Commissioners are uneasy about investing in it. That is why we are in continual dialogue with GEC about the level of its armaments production.
I ask the hon. Gentleman, before he becomes holier than thou, which I know is not characteristic of him, to remember that many of those companies pay substantial taxation to the Chancellor. He and I should be very careful, when our next salary cheque comes along at the end of July--it will probably be slightly bigger than
previously--to ensure that it is ethically acceptable, because some of it may come from those companies about which the Church Commissioners have scruples.
Mr. John Marshall:
Why do the Church Commissioners consider that it is immoral to invest in the Daily Mail?
Mr. Alison:
The rule about not investing in newspapers exists purely so that the Church Commissioners do not take sides in the political involvement or the political sympathies of any newspaper. By dint of not investing in newspapers, we do not invest in The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The Independent or any others whose politics are different and about whom there might be conflict in Church circles as to the investment made.
41. Mr. Flynn:
To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, what new proposals he has to increase the revenue from properties and land held by the Church Commissioners.[36758]
Mr. Alison:
The commissioners seek to invest in quality properties which will secure a reliable and growing flow of income, attracting commercial and agricultural tenants whose businesses appear sound and likely to prosper.
The commissioners' property portfolio achieved a total return of 19.5 per cent. in 1995, which compared very favourably with industry benchmarks.
Mr. Flynn:
I make a similar plea to the one made by my hon. Friend the Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks), because my case in the shadow Cabinet election is even more deserving.
How much of the £228 million increase in the value of the Church Commissioners' portfolio in agricultural land arose from the fact that they allow blood sports on their land? Why do they allow the pursuit of defenceless animals for fun? Do they believe that Christian charity should be limited to one species only?
Mr. Alison:
The hon. Gentleman must have a very high view of the value of foxes and of the number of foxes that there might be on the land, to work out that that could have a significant effect on the property values of our agricultural holdings. We leave it, and have always left it, by tradition, to the personal views of our tenants as to whether they ban hunting or shooting on their land or whether they regard it as acceptable; but all the blood sports must be conducted within the statutory framework of accepted standards for cruelty to animals.
The President of the Board of Trade and Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Mr. Ian Lang):
I want to make a statement on the disruption of the postal services nationally as a result of recent and planned future industrial action by employees of the Royal Mail. First, Madam Speaker, I apologise to you and to the House for the fact that news of the Government's intentions was inadvertently disclosed in another place last Thursday.
In the past four weeks there have been three 24-hour national postal strikes, which have caused significant inconvenience and disruption to businesses and to the public throughout the country. In the Government's view, it is unacceptable that the country should be faced with the threat of a series of further strikes in the coming weeks. These strikes are unnecessary and damaging. They harm the industry and the work force, but the real and immediate victims are the customers; and the Government can no longer stand aside.
3.32 pm
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