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Black-start Facility, Keadby
Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he is yet in a position to make his decision on Keadby Generation Ltd's application to construct a black-start facility at its Keadby power station in North Lincolnshire. [76013]
Mr. Battle: I have today granted consent under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 to Keadby Generation Ltd's application to construct a 25MW gas-fired black start facility (the extension) at its existing power station at Keadby. The decisions have been taken in accordance with the policy set out in the White Paper entitled 'Conclusions of the Review of Energy Sources for Power Generation and Government response to fourth and fifth Reports of the Trade and Industry Committee' (Cm 4071).
I have also given Keadby Generation Ltd. clearance to build the extension under Section 14(1) of the Energy Act 1976 and directed that planning permission for the extension be deemed to be granted, subject to 36 planning conditions agreed with the North Lincolnshire Council. These conditions meet issues raised by the Council and others.
Decisions on other applications under consideration will be announced in due course.
Copies of the Press Notice and decision letter are being placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Kidney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to report the outcome of his review of Employment Law relating to children. [74811]
Mr. Hutton:
I have been asked to reply.
We expect that the review will report shortly.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the countries which had armed forces involved in the jungle training exercise in Brunei carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998. [72789]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
The armed forces of the United Kingdom only were involved in this exercise.
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Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many fast insertion craft are operated by his Department; what is their cost; and when the first craft was brought into service. [72643]
Mr. Spellar:
Each vessel costs between £600,000 and £950,000, and they have been in service since 1994. Details of the numbers operated are withheld under exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of repairing the damage to the Royal Marines' fast insertion craft incurred on 19 January in Norway. [72645]
Mr. Spellar:
The cost is estimated to be £106,000.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the countries which had armed forces involved in the three infantry exercises in France carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998. [72928]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
The armed forces of the UK and France were involved in these exercises.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to set targets for the (a) Defence Secondary Care Agency and (b) Defence Vetting Agency for the year 1999-2000. [72952]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
Key targets for both agencies will be published by the end of April 1999.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what systems he has in place to ensure that policies being developed by his Department are subject to a crime impact (a) assessment and (b) audit and are not likely to lead to enhanced criminal opportunities. [72693]
Mr. Doug Henderson
[holding answer 24 February 1999]: In addition to the regular audit of systems carried out by our Internal Audit organisation, my Department has a Fraud Analysis Unit which is tasked with the evaluation of suspected irregularity in the conduct of MOD business. Lessons learnt are incorporated in the process of policy development. The Department also has, in the Ministry of Defence Police, an independent constabulary whose tasks include the prevention and investigation of crime and fraud in the Defence environment; local policing plans have been developed to reflect the crime concerns at areas policed by the Force.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to issue information from his Department to help the public make an informed decision when they vote on the single currency. [73588]
Mr. George Robertson:
Any plans by the Government to issue information during a referendum campaign on whether or not the UK should join the single currency would be made in light of the Government's response to
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the recommendations from the Neill Committee on the conduct of referendums. The Government will announce their conclusions on those recommendations when my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary publishes a White Paper and draft Bill before the summer recess.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the subject areas within his Department's responsibilities which will be covered by the information campaign on Britain's membership of a single currency. [73668]
Mr. George Robertson:
The Treasury will continue its dialogue with key external bodies to determine what information the public and business would need at each stage of the changeover process. Any information campaign would cover key concerns that the public and business may have. Chapter eight of the Treasury's Outline National Changeover Plan provides further information. Copies of the Plan are available in the Library of the House.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the countries which had armed forces involved in the NATO joint exercise in South Africa carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998. [72985]
Mr. Doug Henderson
[holding answer 2 March 1999]: There were no NATO joint exercises in South Africa between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list those countries which had armed forces involved in the two desert exercises in Jordan carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998; [72972]
Mr. Doug Henderson
[holding answer 1 March 1999]: Exercise DESERT SONG comprised two exercises involving members of the UK and Jordanian armed forces and was conducted in Jordan in September and October 1997. These exercises were intended to maintain and develop the capacity of the participating personnel to conduct operations in a desert environment, and are assessed to have succeeded in their aim.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates the US/UK Joint Venture Oversight Group on the defence response to the threat posed by chemical and biological weapons is due to meet in 1999; in which country each meeting is due to take place; which of his Department's officials attend these meetings; and if any other Government Departments attend these meetings. [74257]
Mr. George Robertson:
It is currently envisaged that the Joint Venture Oversight Group will meet twice a year and that the meetings will be held alternately in the United
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States and the UK. The inaugural meeting of the Group having taken place in the United States in December 1998, the next will be held in the UK in June.
The principal UK official for these meetings is the MOD Deputy Policy Director. The composition of his supporting team depends on the business of each meeting, but is likely normally to include staff with responsibility for relevant policy issues, operational assessment and scientific research. Other Departments would be represented if required.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list members of the Ministry of Defence, Press and Broadcasting Advisory Committee. [74312]
Mr. George Robertson:
The current make-up of the Defence, Press and Broadcasting Advisory Committee is:
Membership of the Committee and the Defence Advisory Notices themselves are kept up-to-date on the Internet at the Committee's home page: WWW.bitinternet.com/~d.a.notices
9 Mar 1999 : Column: 118
(2) what is his assessment of the principal benefits of the two desert exercises in Jordan carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998. [72976]
Chairman
K. R. Tebbit Esq. CMG
Permanent Under Secretary of State Ministry of Defence
Vice Chairman and Chairman, Press and Broadcasting Side
R. Hutchinson Esq.
Editiorial Policy Adviser to Jane's Information Group
[Nominated by Periodical Publishers Association]
Government Members
D. B. Omand Esq.
Permanent Under Secretary of State Home Office
R. T. Jackling Esq. CB CBE 2nd Permanent Under Secretary of State Ministry of Defence
D. J. Manning Esq. CMG Deputy Under Secretary of State Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Press and Broadcasting Members
S Anderson Esq. Controller News and Current Affairs, ITV [ITV]
J. D. Bishop Esq. Editor-in-Chief, Illustrated London News Group [Periodical Publishers Association]
G. Brock Esq. Managing Editor, The Times [Newspaper Publishers Association]
J. Cassidy Esq
Editor, Sunday Mail [Scottish Daily Newspaper Society]
T. H. S. Cole Esq. Managing Editor, Sky Television plc [Sky TV]
R. Esser Esq. Executive Managing Editor, Daily Mail [Newspaper publishers Association]
A. Goode Esq. Chief Executive, Bristol Evening Post and Press [Newspaper Society]
P. Harding Esq. Controller, Editorial Policy, BBC [BBC]
A. S. M. Hutchinson Esq. Associate Editor, The Daily Telegraph [Newspaper Publishers Association]
P. J. Potts Esq. Editor, PA News [Press Association]
R. G. Tait Esq. Editor-ins-Chief, Independent Television News Ltd. [ITN]
W. Wilson Esq. Editor, Express and Star, Wolverhampton [Newspaper Society]
Secretary
Rear Admiral D. M. Pulvertaft CB
Deputy Secretary
Commander F. N. Ponsonby LVO OBE.
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