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NORTHERN IRELAND
Decommissioning
Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when she last received a progress report from General De Chastelain on the decommissioning of terrorist weapons; and if she will make a statement. [83070]
Mr. Ingram: The Secretary of State last met with the Decommissioning Commission on 22 March, the Prime Minister met them on 30 March and I met them on 22 April. The Commission also meets regularly and frequently with both Governments at official level. The Commission continues its discussions with representatives of the various groups and parties.
Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what have been the total costs associated with the International Commission on Disarmament established to oversee the decommissioning of terrorist weapons. [83071]
Mr. Ingram: The Independent International Commission on Decommissioning is funded jointly by the British and Irish Governments. The total expenditure associated with the Commission shared by both Governments, up to 31 March 1999, was IR £1,905,830.57. The British Government's share of this was STG £803,379.46.
NHS Pay Review
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the pay increases for 1999-2000 agreed by Her Majesty's Government following the NHS Pay Review Bodies' recommendations were included in April salary payments to staff; and if he will make a statement. [83153]
Mr. McFall:
The pay increases effective from 1 April 1999 in respect of hospital medical and dental staff employed in the Health and Personal Social Services and covered by the Pay Review Bodies were included in April salaries. However, the salary increases recommended by the Review Body for Nurses and Midwives and Professions Allied to Medicine and Related Grades of Staff who are employed by or in the Health and Personal Social Services in Northern Ireland were not.
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Staff employed in the Health and Personal Social Services in Northern Ireland are not subject to the terms and conditions of service negotiated nationally. However, national terms and conditions are replicated, on a parity basis to apply to staff employed in the HPSS.
The recommendations of the Review Body on Doctors and Dentists' Remuneration were agreed with the professions locally and issued to employers on 15 March for implementation. The recommended increase was included in April salaries.
The national Whitley agreements in respect of Nurses and Midwives and Professions Allied to Medicine and Related Grades of Staff were not issued until 8 April 1999 which did not allow sufficient time for a parity agreement to be reached for similar staff employed in the HPSS. Parity agreements are being promulgated and will be issued as soon as possible.
The pay increases for Nurses and Midwives and PAMs staff will apply from 1 April and arrears will be paid where appropriate.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what date and by what legal authority RUC barracks were constructed on property of the Gaelic Athletic Association and grounds of Crossmaglen Rangers; what preparations have been made to vacate these barracks; what functions currently conducted at or from these barracks will be discontinued and what functions will be carried out from which other sites; what preparations for the transfer of functions are being made at other sites; what date has been set as the target for completion of these moves; what compensation or other payments have been made to the owners of this land; and what plans have been made to demolish the barracks and return the site to its previous use. [82503]
Mr. Ingram:
The then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Merlyn Rees, signed a Requisition Order on 25 June 1974 to take possession of land belonging to Crossmaglen Rangers GAA Club under powers conferred by the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1973
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for the purpose of extending the then existing joint RUC and Army Base. The Requisition Order conveys the right to build or do any other necessary works on the land. The existing Base is sited mainly on land owned by the Police Authority for Northern Ireland.
A portion of this requisitioned land which was outside the perimeter wall of the extended Base was handed back to the GAA Club in April 1995.
A further small strip of land belonging to the Club was requisitioned in May 1991 to create a 3 metre stand-off zone between the rear perimeter wall of the Base and the Club's newly built Social Club. This area was de-requisitioned in April 1995.
On return of the area still held under requisition none of the functions currently carried out at or from these barracks will be discontinued or transferred to other sites. They will be carried out from the reduced base.
Work to clear the site has commenced and will be completed as soon as possible. On completion of the restoration work, the land will be handed back to the GAA Club.
To date, the GAA Club has received £150,000 in compensation and £30,657.53 towards the costs of professional advisers' fees.
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Mr. Ian Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will publish the consultation document on the reform of the regulations governing employment agencies. [R] [82395]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
My right hon. Friend proposes to publish it during this month.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what plans he has for an announcement concerning the Foresight work programmes; and when the announcement will be made; [82724]
Mr. Battle:
The new round of Foresight began on 1 April 1999. A blueprint outlining the structure and remit of the new round was published in December 1998 alongside the Competitiveness White Paper.
Work in the new round is being taken forward by ten sectoral and three thematic panels. Chairs for twelve of the new panels have been appointed as follows:
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(2) if chairpersons have been appointed to each of the panels associated with the next round of Foresight. [82723]
| Thematic panels | Panel chair |
|---|---|
| Ageing population | Jim Stretton, Chief Executive, Standard Life |
| Crime Prevention | Colin, Sharman, Chairman, KPMG International |
| Manufacturing 2020 | Nicholas Scheele, Senior Vice President, Ford, Europe |
| Sectoral panels | |
| Built Environment & Transport | Keith Clarke, Chief Executive, Kvaerner Construction |
| Chemicals | Dr. Joe Blaker, President, Chemical Industries Association |
| Defence, Aerospace & Systems | Sir Donald Spiers, Chairman Meggitt plc. |
| Financial Services | Tim Jones, Managing Director, Retail Banking Services NatWest |
| Food Chain & Crops for Industry | Deidre Hutton, Chair, Scottish Consumer Council |
| Healthcare | Sir Michael Peckham, Director, School of Public Policy, University College London |
| Information, Communications & Media | Joyce Taylor, Managing Director, Discovery Communications Europe |
| Materials | Professor John Wood, University of Nottingham |
| Retail & Consumer Services | Sir John Banham, West Country Management |
| Construction (associate programme) | Tim Broyd, Director, WS Atkins |
| Marine (form of association to be decided) | Tim Jones, Chief Executive, Lloyds Register |
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The Chair of the Energy and Natural Environment panel will be appointed shortly.
Work programmes for the panels and panel membership are due to be published in the next few weeks.
Mr. Dafis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the dates and locations of quadrilateral meetings between representatives of the USA, Japan, Canada and the EU, to be held in preparation for the ministerial conference on the WTO in Seattle in November. [82680]
Mr. Wilson:
The next quadrilateral meeting is to take place in Tokyo on 11-12 May 1999. No further meeting has yet been scheduled.
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Mr. Evans:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will make a statement on his Department's progress in dealing with applications for gas-fired power stations in (a) Anglesey, (b) Baglan Bay and (c) Rassau; [82238]
(3) what estimates he has made of the possible investment in Wales resulting from the proposed gas-fired power stations in (a) Anglesey, (b) Baglan Bay and (c) Rassau. [82240]
Mr. Battle:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 7 April 1999 the decision not to use powers, under section 14(3) of the Energy Act 1976, to
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defer or halt the Baglan Bay project. No decision has yet been taken on Anglesey or Rassau. Planning, local and environmental issues will be considered as part of the process of obtaining clearance under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, which has not yet been completed for any of the three proposals.
(2) what assessment he has made of the employment involved in (a) construction of and (b) permanent employment at proposed gas-fired power stations in (i) Anglesey, (ii) Baglan Bay and (iii) Rassau; [82239]
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