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ENVIRONMENT
Renewable Energy
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans his Department has to revise planning policy guidance note No. 22 on renewable energy to give greater encouragement to autonomous local services and associated industries; and if he will make a statement. [3435]
Sir Paul Beresford: The Government have no immediate plans to revise planning policy guidance note No. 22, "Renewable Energy".
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Regeneration Assistance
Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assistance his Department provides to (a) the Prince's Trust and (b) Business in the Community. [3431]
Sir Paul Beresford: My Department assists these organisations in a number of ways and greatly values the contribution that they make to strengthen communities and promoting regeneration. We are currently assisting the Prince's Trust through the free secondment of two members of staff, one to the headquarters office of the Prince's Trust volunteers and another to the Prince of Wales business leaders forum. We liaise with Business in the Community on various matters of common interest and provide grants towards some of its regeneration and environmental work, the total for the current financial year being about £120,000. My Department worked in partnership with Business in the Community and others to set up the local investment fund, which has already provided over £½ million in loans for voluntary sector projects in deprived areas.
Preston Farm, Stockton on Tees
Mr. Devlin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people are employed on Teesside development corporation's Preston Farm site in Stockton on Tees. [3880]
Sir Paul Beresford: It is estimated that 3,400 people now work on the Preston Farm site.
Green Ministers
Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when was the last meeting of the green Ministers; who attended; and what issues were discussed. [3867]
Mr. Clappison: I refer the hon. Member to the Department's news release No. 480, issued earlier today.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Pension Scheme
Mr. Denham: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many requests for information the principal civil service pension scheme has received from pension providers undertaking reviews of pension transfers and opt-outs; in how many cases all appropriate information has been supplied; what is the average length of time taken to supply such information; and what moratorium has been introduced on supplying such information. [3340]
Mr. Freeman: The administration of the principal civil service pension scheme is carried out by employing Departments and the information requested is not held centrally. Administrators have been provided with information packs on the PCSPS, and use these, together with a standard questionnaire on members' benefits, to help them handle requests from pension providers consistently and efficiently. The recent introduction of powers to recharge administrative costs should assist
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further with the processing of such requests although we believe that relatively few civil servants are affected by the personal pensions review.
Central Intelligence Machinery
Mr. Marlow: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has to revise the booklet published in 1993 on the Cabinet Office's central intelligence machinery. [4256]
Mr. Freeman: A revised edition of the booklet is to be published today and copies are being placed in the Libraries of both Houses. It is being launched simultaneously on the Internet.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
Zaire and Rwanda
Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action the British Government (a) are taking and (b) plan to take, within the EU and with their UN partners, (i) to support the ceasefire in eastern Zaire, (ii) to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches the refugee population in eastern Zaire and (iii) to promote a regional solution to the problems of the Great Lakes region. [3678]
Dr. Liam Fox: UN Security Council resolution 1078 of 9 November calls for an immediate ceasefire and complete cessation of all hostilities in the region. We continue to urge all parties to observe a ceasefire, which will be vital for humanitarian aid to reach those in need. We are in close touch with UN agencies and non-governmental organisations, many of them British, which have undertaken missions into eastern Zaire to assess humanitarian needs and means of delivery. We stand ready to provide further assistance. An EU ministerial troika is also in the region to assess what contribution the EU can make. We strongly support the efforts of the EU and UN special envoys to promote a regional solution to the problems facing the Great Lakes, and welcome the constructive engagement of regional leaders in that process.
Mr. Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response the British Government have made to proposals to send a multinational force to Zaire; and what logistical and financial support the Government have offered in respect of such a force. [3679]
Dr. Fox: We supported United Nations Security Council resolution 1078 authorising member states to begin preparations for a multinational force and are working closely with our partners in considering the options for a possible UK contribution.
Mr. Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the British Government are taking to promote the holding of a regional conference on the political problems of the Great Lakes region. [3677]
Dr. Fox: We fully support the convening, under UN and Organisation of African Unity auspices, of an international conference on peace, security and development in the Great Lakes region. We are working
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to promote the support of countries within the region, as well as of the wider international community, for urgent action to make all the necessary arrangements for such a conference.
Mr. Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the recent declaration of a ceasefire by the Tutsi rebels in eastern Zaire; and if he will make a statement. [3680]
Dr. Fox: We welcome the declaration of a ceasefire on 5 November by Banyamulenge leaders. We continue to urge all parties to the conflict in eastern Zaire to declare a complete cessation of violence.
NATIONAL HERITAGE
National Lottery
Dr. John Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the current total of unclaimed prizes from the national lottery; how much interest has been earned by this sum; and where each sum is retained and by whom. [3279]
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley: This is an operational matter for Camelot Group plc. I have, therefore, asked the Director General of the Office of the National Lottery, who is responsible for regulating the operation of the lottery, to write to the right hon. Member, placing copies of his response in the Libraries of the House.
DEFENCE
Environmental Assessment
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what environmental assessment in respect of contaminated land has been conducted at (a) the chemical defence establishment at Nancekuke in Cornwall, (b) the central dockyard laboratory at HM naval base, Portsmouth and (c) the RAF aeroplane and armaments experimental establishment at Boscombe Down; [3526]
- (2) what environmental impact assessment has been conducted in respect of contaminated land at (a) the Admiralty engineering laboratories at (i) Ditton Park and (ii) West Drayton (b) the Admiralty experimental works at Haslar, Gosport, (c) the Admiralty marine engineering establishment at Portland, (d) the Admiralty materials laboratory at Holton Heath, Poole, (e) the Admiralty research laboratories at (i) Perran Porth, Cornwall, (ii) Teddington and (iii) Bushy Park, (f) the Admiralty surface weapons establishments at (i) Ditton Park, (ii) Eastney Portsmouth, (iii) Funtingdon, (iv) London road, Portsmouth, and (v) Portsmouth, Cosham and (g) the Admiralty underwater weapons establishments. [3413]
Mr. Soames: My Department has carried out environmental assessments as appropriate at its sites. As I informed the hon. Member on 15 October, Official Report, column 861, we are introducing a prioritised procedure of land quality assessment for the defence estate, which will provide a publicly available land quality statement for individual sites. However, such documents
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do not yet exist in respect of these sites, and historic details are not held centrally on work carried out in the past.
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will ask his United States counterpart to provide routinely to his Department copies of the environmental compliance assessment and management programme reports for each military facility in the United Kingdom and overseas territories where operating rights have been granted to United States defence forces. [3414]
Mr. Soames: MOD personnel are already fully involved in the environmental audit process at US military facilities in the UK and are routinely made aware of the contents of environmental compliance assessment and management programme reports. Similarly FCO personnel are kept fully informed of the environmental impact of all US activities at overseas territories where operating rights have been granted to US forces.
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