Select Committee on Public Accounts Minutes of Evidence


Examination of Witnesses (Questions 140 - 158)

MONDAY 15 DECEMBER 1997

SIR JOHN KERR, KCMG, MR PETER WESTMACOTT, LVO, MR JOHN KERBY, and MR LEE BEAUMONT

MR JAMIE MORTIMER

Mr Leslie

  140.  On Hong Kong, can you just tell me what was the cost to the UK of the new Chep Lap Kok Airport?
  (Sir John Kerr)  May I invite the assistance of my colleague on the right?
  (Mr Beaumont)  I cannot answer about the cost to the UK because my responsibility is only in respect of aviation security.

  141.  So was there any cost at all to the UK Exchequer?
  (Sir John Kerr)  I would be very surprised if there was any cost at all.
  (Mr Beaumont)  The general thrust of our work in aviation security is to ensure the cost- effective implementation of aviation security measures.

  142.  Sure, I realise that, but maybe you could just reassure us that there was no cost to the UK at all in the construction of this whole new airport because it is an extremely large and expensive construction and I was interested in that. ***
  (Sir John Kerr)  ***
  (Mr Beaumont)  ***

  143.  ***
  (Mr Beaumont)  ***

  144.  Could you just reassure me about the costs of the airport?
  (Sir John Kerr)  No costs to HMG in this country.
  (Mr Beaumont)  ***

Mr Williams

  145.  *** If we look at that appendix 1 in the original NAO Report and the responsibilities of Governors, in every instance the Governor has responsibility for internal security. Where does the responsibility for implementation lie and have there been any requests either from the individual Territories and, in particular, from the Governors for financial support in the period since 1995? [7]We are nearly three years on, after all.
  (Sir John Kerr)  The responsibility lies with the Government of the Dependent Territory in question.

  146.  Does that include the Governor?
  (Sir John Kerr)  Yes.

  147.  ***
  (Mr Beaumont)  ***

  148.  ***
  (Mr Beaumont)  ***

  149.  *** Then the final question is to switch to the Falklands, where it says, " in July 1996, the Falkland Islands Government received bids for oil exploration in their territorial waters". Now, this Committee did an analysis of the work of the Antarctic Survey a few years ago and, lo and behold, to our amazement it was one of the few areas where they could find new aircraft and a new ship and there was not the usual shortage of funds, but there was no mention of oil at that stage. Now, we would be delighted if they found it. *** Does it belong to the Falklands or would it technically belong to the UK? What is its status?
  (Sir John Kerr)  ***

  150.  ***
  (Sir John Kerr)  Technically, it belongs to the Falkland Islands. It is by our long practice, convention, that is to say, that resources from the continental shelf around a Dependent Territory belong to that Dependent Territory. ***

  151.  ***
  (Sir John Kerr)  ***

  152.  In which case, Sir John, do you remember when our Report on the Antarctic Survey took place? Was it about 1995?
  (Sir John Bourn)  I think in fact it may have been rather before that.

  153.  Because there was certainly no mention of anything of this sort at that stage. One final thought which occurs to me as a result of it is that because of our relationship with the Falklands, we still maintain our claim to that wedge down into Antarctica, do we not?
  (Sir John Kerr)  Yes.

  154.  Whom technically does that wedge relate to-the Falklands or ourselves? I know there are said to be no economic developments, but whom does it relate to? Is it ours or is it the Falklands'?
  (Mr Westmacott)  Our claim to the British Antarctic Territory is totally separate from our relationship to the Falkland Islands as a Dependent Territory. There are counter- claimants, as I am sure you know. There are other Governments, the Chilean and Argentine, which claim the same part of Antarctica, but it is a totally separate Dependent Territory from the Falkland Islands.

Mr Page

  155.  You are again lucky that Mr Williams has asked the main question that I wanted to ask. ***
  (Sir John Kerr)  ***

  156.  ***
  (Sir John Kerr)  ***

  157.  ***
  (Mr Beaumont)  ***

  158.  ***
  (Mr Beaumont)  ***

  Mr Page:  You tie our hands slightly because submissions to Ministers and advice to Ministers are such that I do not necessarily think we should be that bound by it, but I have no further questions.

  Chairman:  Thank you, Sir John, for your evidence and that of your colleagues.


7   Note: Memorandum not reported (PAC 99B). Back


 
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