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Arms Embargo (Argentina)
Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade for what reason the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Amber Valley (Mr. Oppenheim), omitted the reassessments of arms embargos against Argentina since January 1991 in his answer of 13 June 1996, Official Report, column 263. [787]
Mr. Lang [holding answer 28 October 1996]: In his answer, my hon. Friend the Member for Amber Valley stated that the policy on the application of the embargo on defence sales is kept under regular review. As my right hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, Pentlands, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, told the House on 24 October 1996, Official Report, column 141, should the Government decide to implement any relaxation of the embargo, this will be announced to Parliament.
Enterprise Britain Initiative
Mr. Hoon: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the constituencies to be visited under the enterprise Britain initiative; and what is the estimated cost of the exercise. [70]
Mr. Lang [holding answer 28 October 1996]: The detailed programme is currently being arranged. The cost will depend on the number and size of the events.
Mr. Hoon: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what will be the cost to those attending enterprise Britain events. [163]
Mr. Lang
[holding answer 28 October 1996]: There will be no charge for those attending the events.
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British Library
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is her estimate of the proportion of internationally available scientific literature and patent collections available in conditions of open access at each of the British library's reading rooms. [459]
Mr. Sproat: The British library's science reference and information service acquires some 1 million patent specifications annually, which it estimates to constitute some 99 per cent. of the world's published output of such specifications. Sixty-one per cent. of the material held by the science reference and information service in this category is available either on open access, or is accessible to those users holding a vault pass. Of the total estimated 81,000 scientific periodicals published world-wide, the British library estimates that the science reference and information service currently receives 20,000 research titles. Material in English published during the last 10 years, and material published in other languages during the last two to three years, is held on open access, representing some 26 per cent. of the total research periodicals held by the science reference and information service. It is not possible to estimate the total number of scientific monographs published throughout the world. The science reference and information service receives some 4,500 new scientific monograph titles at research level published in the UK each year through legal deposit, and acquires foreign titles in line with the acquisition funds available.
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the total value of properties which have been sold from the British library estate. [440]
Mr. Sproat: The library sold its freehold in 14 Store street, London WC1, for £5.5 million on 19 August 1991. I understand that no other property held by the British library has been sold.
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what leaseback arrangements have been registered in the use of properties in the British library estate. [439]
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what has been the total number of voluntary and compulsory redundancies at each of the branches of the British library in the last five years. [460]
Mr. Sproat: No British library staff have been subject to either voluntary or compulsory redundancy prior to March 1996. Forty-nine employees of the British library accepted the terms of a voluntary redundancy programme which was offered in March 1996, 13 of whom have already left the library's employment and a further 12 of whom will do so during the remainder of the present financial year.
Mr. Campbell-Savours:
To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what estimates she has of the value of the two British library related assets in Tooks court, London WC2. [438]
30 Oct 1996 : Column: 156
Mr. Sproat:
The premises at 25 Southampton buildings, London WC2, adjoin Tooks court, and house part of the British library's science reference and information service. The property, part of which is leased by the British library, was valued at £6 million as at 13 November 1995.
Mr. Barnes:
To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) if he will list the total amounts of the lottery funding awards to date in respect of each parliamentary constituency in England and Wales, indicating for each the amounts awarded in the last quarter for which figures are available and listing constituencies in descending rank order by total amounts; [519]
(3) if she will list the total amounts of lottery funding awards to date in respect of each parliamentary constituency in Scotland indicating for each the amounts awarded in the last quarter for which figures are available and listing the constituencies in descending rank order by total amounts. [988]
Mr. Sproat:
A full list of all awards up to 30 September, broken down by each parliamentary constituency, has been placed in the House of Commons Library today, on computer disc. The Secretary of State wrote to all members of the House on 18 October with an update of awards made in their constituencies during the last quarter. At present, the figures cannot be ranked as requested without disproportionate costs.
(2) if she will list the total amounts of the lottery funding awards to date in respect of each parliamentary constituency in Northern Ireland indicating for each the amounts awarded in the last quarter for which figures are available and listing constituencies in descending rank order by total amounts; [987]
Housing Council (Visit to Japan)
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what factors led to the visit to Japan by members of the Northern Ireland Housing Council; what is the estimated cost of the visit; and if he will make a statement. [47]
Mr. Moss: This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, whose chief executive has advised me that the Northern Ireland Housing Council was represented at the International Federation for Housing and Planning congress in Japan by its chairman. The congress was a follow-up to the highly successful IFHP congress held in Belfast in September 1995 which the Housing Council was instrumental in bringing to Northern Ireland. The IFHP congress provides an opportunity for the exchange of information and experience on housing and planning issues and also the development of international housing contacts. The estimated cost of attendance is approximately £3,000.
Drumcree Incident
Mr. McGrady:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the cost
30 Oct 1996 : Column: 157
of the damage to property caused by the incident at Drumcree and subsequent events during July and August 1996. [139]
Sir John Wheeler:
Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Compensation Agency under its chief executive, Mr Denis Stanley. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from D. A. Stanley to Mr. Eddie McGrady, dated 29 October 1996:
Mr. John D. Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in the last financial year what was the contribution of each of the harbours at (a) Portavogie, (b) Ardglass and (c) Kilkeel to the income of the Northern Ireland Fishery Harbour Authority; and what was the capital expenditure by the authority at each of these fishing ports in the same financial year. [45]
Mr. Ancram:
The following table provides details of the authority's income and expenditure in 1995-96:
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has asked me to reply, on behalf of the Compensation Agency, to your recent Question regarding the estimated cost of damage to property caused by the incident at Drumcree and subsequent events during July and August 1996.
The Agency estimates that criminal damage amount to £20 million occurred throughout Northern Ireland during the period 9-14 July. Claims with an estimated value of £9 million have been received for incidents for the period of 15 July onwards. These estimates are based on the Agency's loss adjusters' current valuation of individual claims and may, of course, change as the claims proceed to settlement.
| Ardglass | Kilkeel | Portavogie | |
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | |
| Operating income | 101,109 | 311,421 | 235,292 |
| Capital works expenditure | 315,692 | 548,111 | 154,526 |
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many claims were made for compensation as a result of (i) damage to property and (ii) injury to persons as a result of the incident at Drumcree and subsequent events in July and August 1996. [138]
Sir John Wheeler: Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Compensation Agency under its chief executive, Mr. Denis Stanley. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from D. A. Stanley to Mr. Eddie McGrady, dated 29 October 1996:
30 Oct 1996 : Column: 158
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has asked me to reply, on behalf of the Compensation Agency, to your recent Question regarding the number of claims made for compensation in respect of damage to property and injury to persons as a result of the incident at Drumcree and subsequent events during July and August 1996.
The Agency has received a total of 2,665 criminal damage claims and 2,431 criminal injury claims for incidents that occurred during the months of July and August. Prior to July, the number of criminal damage claims being received each month was around 100 and the number of criminal injury claims was around 900 each month. Therefore 2,465 additional criminal damage claims and 631 additional criminal injury claims have been received so far for the months of July and August.
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