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Aircraft Noise, Heathrow
Mr. Tony Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on aircraft noise monitoring on the Heathrow flight paths. [6420]
Ms Glenda Jackson: Noise from aircraft taking off from Heathrow has been monitored successively by Government Departments, the British Airports Authority, and by Heathrow Airport Ltd. (HAL) on behalf of the Government.
The Government also undertake annual surveys of aircraft noise around Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports, which are published in the form of noise contours for the 16-hour day. The most recent available are for 1994.
Special noise monitoring exercises are also carried out from time to time to collect data on particular aspects of airport operations.
Strategic Defence Review
Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the policy baseline for the Strategic Defence Review will be completed; and if it will be published.[5568]
Dr. Reid: The Strategic Defence Review is foreign policy led. Its first stage will reassess Britain's essential security interests and defence needs in the changing international environment. This work is expected to be completed during the Summer and will provide the policy baseline for the Review. We shall consider then whether anything should be published in advance of the completion of the Review.
Trident
Mr. McAllion: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has to order Trident missiles before the Strategic Defence Review is concluded. [5608]
Mr. Spellar: As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence told the House on 16 June, (Official Report, Columns 9 and 10), procurement business will proceed as normally as possible during the Strategic Defence Review. Where procurement decisions on major equipment programmes are required before the Review is concluded, and this will include the seven Trident missiles planned to be ordered in US Fiscal Year 1998, they will be considered on their individual merits and in relation to progress with the Review.
Gulf War Veterans
Mr. Kidney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he last met representatives from the Gulf War Veterans Association to discuss Gulf War Syndrome. [2054]
3 Jul 1997 : Column: 257
Dr. Reid
[pursuant to his answer, 16 June 1997, c. 76]: I regret that there was an erroneous reference to chemical warfare which should have been to biological warfare. For convenience the full corrected answer should have been as follows: As part of our commitment to listening to their concerns, the Secretary of State for Defence and I met veterans' representatives, including members of the Gulf Veterans Association, on 29 May. I was encouraged by the welcome extended by veterans to the new measures I announced last month, including new research on the effects of vaccines, additional resources for the medical assessment programme and a full and open explanation of the scientific basis in which our troops were protected against biological warfare in the Gulf.
Mr. Alan Keen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the key targets for the Logistic Information Systems Agency for 1997-98. [7060]
Dr. Reid:
The Chief Executive of the Logistic Information Systems Agency has been set the following key targets for 1997-98.
To deliver the agreed levels of service whilst achieving a 2.5 per cent. cut in unit costs for LISA output in FY 1997-98.
To achieve a 10 per cent. improvement in delivery performance to customers' requirements.
To secure the benefits of the Partnership at 10 per cent. above contractual commitment.
To achieve Investors in People accreditation by April 1998.
To improve LISA recruitment levels such that 95 per cent. of funded posts are filled with appropriately qualified personnel.
Gordon Foxley
Mr. Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about negotiations with the companies involved in the payment of commissions to Gordon Foxley relating to defence companies. [7090]
Mr. Spellar: Following the settlement reached with my Department in June 1996, under which Raufoss AS of Norway paid an agreed sum in redress, the company became eligible from that time to be considered for Ministry of Defence orders, but normal commercial relations were not to be resumed for some months while the operation of the agreement was monitored. I am pleased to report that the company has continued to co-operate fully with my Department since that date, including provision of full access to their relevant accounting records, and has satisfied my Department in respect of its management arrangements and approach to future contracts. We have therefore decided to resume normal commercial relations with the company.
Discussions are continuing with the other companies involved in the Foxley case, against whom proceedings are still in train.
Defence Postal and Courier Services Agency
Mr. Alan W. Williams:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the key targets for the Defence Postal and Courier Services Agency for 1997-98. [7091]
3 Jul 1997 : Column: 258
Dr. Reid:
The Chief Executive of the Defence Postal and Courier Services Agency has been set the following key targets for 1997-98.
1. Under Competing for Quality, to expose £2 million of Agency business to competition.
2. Under the Private Finance Initiative, to pursue the automation of Forces Post Office counters world-wide with Post Office Counters Ltd., the Benefits Agency and Industry by March 2001.
3. To complete the implementation of the Triennial Review by 31 March 1998.
4. To identify the ratio of overheads to outputs (1996-97) and establish savings targets (1997-98) and achieve targets by 31 March 1999.
5. To rationalise the technical funding and responsibility for Postal and Courier Service Units across MOD Top Level Budgets following the Triennial Review.
6. To benchmark the unit costs of output over a 3 year period ending 31 March 1999.
TREASURY
Domestic Fuel (VAT)
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will estimate the impact on the index by which the state retirement pension is uprated of a reduction in VAT on domestic fuel to 5 per cent.; [5999]
- (2) if he will estimate what the effects on the retirement pension would have been at the last uprating if VAT on domestic fuel and power had been reduced to 5 per cent. in September 1996. [6000]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 30 June 1997]: The state retirement pension is uprated in April of each year by the annual Retail Prices Index (RPI) inflation rate for the preceding September. The effect of reducing VAT on domestic fuel from 8 per cent. to 5 per cent. would be to reduce RPI inflation.
Building Society Conversions
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce a moratorium on further building society conversions. [6225]
Bank of Credit and Commerce International
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which of the recommendations contained in chapter 10 of the report by Senators Kerry and Brown on the closure of BCCI, he has (a) implemented and (b) rejected. [6476]
Mrs. Liddell: The recommendations to the Government and the Bank of England in the report of the Bingham Inquiry into the supervision of BCCI have all been implemented.
Banking Ombudsman
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to regulate the Banking Ombudsman by statute. [6633]
Mrs. Liddell:
There are no plans at present.
3 Jul 1997 : Column: 259
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases were dealt with by the Banking Ombudsman each year, over the past five years; and what percentage each year were found in favour of the claimant. [6632]
Mrs. Liddell: This information is provided in the Annual Reports of the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, copies of which are in the Library.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Sheep Scab Order 1997
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects the Sheep Scab Order 1997 to come into force; and if he will make a statement. [3804]
Mr. Rooker: The Sheep Scab Order 1997 was made on 19 March 1997 under the previous Government and came into force on 1 July 1997. The order is designed to support the majority within the sheep industry who take their welfare responsibilities seriously and treat their animals against sheep scab.
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