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Gatwick
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what legal agreement exists between the Government and the BAA in respect of an additional runway at Gatwick. [31600]
Mr. Spellar: There is no agreement between the Government and BAA plc about an additional runway at Gatwick airport. But there is in place an agreement between the local authority, West Sussex county council, and the then British Airports Authority, which was agreed in August 1979, under the terms of section 52 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1970.
Ports (Policing)
Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he has completed his review of the policing of ports; and if he will make a statement. [31292]
Mr. Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 7 November 2001, Official Report, column 296W. Work on the review has been delayed by other priority work on security issues, but I hope that the review will be completed by end April.
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Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many police officers were employed in ports police forces at the most recent date for which figures are available. [31293]
Mr. Jamieson: There were 192 port police officers in August 2001.
Ordnance Survey
Mr. Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on service level agreements between Ordnance Survey and local authorities. [31012]
Ms Keeble: The current service level agreement between Ordnance Survey and local authorities took effect on 1 April 1999 and will continue until 31 March 2004. This five year agreement covers a range of organisations including county councils, borough councils, district councils, fire and police authorities and national parks.
The agreement allows for the provision of both large and small scale mapping to all participating organisations. The benefits of the service level agreement to the local authority community are wide ranging. The agreement provides a vehicle from which local authorities are able to obtain digital and paper mapping with both ease and speed. This has led to the widespread use of Ordnance Survey digital map data across the local government sector for use in their support of the local community. This widespread take up of Ordnance Survey's map data also ensures consistency of use across local government.
Youth Forums
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what effort he has made to encourage the creation of youth forums in each region; and if he will make a statement. [29971]
Mr. Denham: I have been asked to reply.
In November 2001 I published "Learning to Listen: Core Principles for the Involvement of Children and Young People". It commits Government Departments to increasing opportunities for children and young people to have a bigger say about policies and services relevant to them across Government and in their communities. Youth forums provide one way to help achieve this.
Both the Children's Fund and the Connexions Service provide financial and other support to local youth forums. The funding we are making available through the new "Transforming Youth Work Development Fund" will provide additional resources to promote increased participation, help to ensure there is enhanced youth work provision to underpin it, and contribute to our efforts to increase young people's engagement with local democracy.
The Government also support the initiative being spearheaded by the Local Government Association and the National Youth Agency, "Hear by Right", that fosters the active involvement of children and young people in decision making within their communities.
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Child Workers
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many child workers were registered with local authorities in each of the last 20 years. [25016]
Jacqui Smith: I have been asked to reply.
Children and young people below the minimum school leaving age wishing to work must obtain permits from their local authority allowing them to do so. Numbers are not collected centrally.
DEFENCE
Public Relations Consultants
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent by (a) his Department and (b) bodies for which it is responsible on external public relations consultants in each of the last four years. [27400]
Dr. Moonie: This information is not held centrally in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
However, since 1999–2000, a breakdown of Ministry of Defence's public relations expenditure has been published in the annual departmental performance report, broken down into categories of Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and civilian recruitment, PR, marketing and business support services, Chief of PR, sales promotion, scholarships and National Employers' Liaison Committee.
Publicity expenditure figures were also published in the 1997–98 departmental performance report but on a slightly different basis.
Copies of these documents are available in the Library of the House.
Tanzania
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when a judgment was made by the Arms Working Party on the suitability of the sale of the BAE Systems air-traffic control system to Tanzania under the MOD form 680 procedure; [28299]
- (2) when the application for a Tanzanian air traffic control system was considered under the MOD Form 680 procedure; and what the decision was. [29440]
Dr. Moonie [holding answer 23 January 2002]: Siemens Plessey Electronic Systems (now part of Alenia Marconi Systems) submitted an F680 application in July 1997 for the supply of a radar system to Tanzania. In August 1997 the Government advised the company of preliminary clearance to supply an air-traffic control system to Tanzania subject to certain conditions. Within these conditions, it is routinely made clear to companies that such advice does not constitute an export licence, nor does it guarantee that a licence will be approved for the future export of goods or technology.
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) which Government Departments and agencies are represented on the Arms Working Party under the MOD Form 680 procedure; [28297]
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- (2) which (a) sections and (b) Departments are represented at the Arms Working Party under the Form 680 procedure; and who has lead responsibility for assessing projects in terms of sustainable development. [29439]
Dr. Moonie [holding answer 23 January 2002]: The term "Arms Working Party" is colloquially used to describe the F680 process under which informal advice is provided to companies on the prospects for approval at the marketing stage. Advisers consulted include the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Non-Proliferation Department, Geographical Departments, Human Rights Policy Department), the Ministry of Defence (Defence Intelligence, Equipment Security Branch, Headquarters Security Branch) and other Departments and agencies as necessary.
Tony Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he was first informed of the views of the World bank about the (a) suitability and (b) cost of the Tanzanian air traffic control system. [29443]
Dr. Moonie [holding answer 23 January 2002]: I am withholding this information under Exemption 2 (Internal discussion and advice) of Part II of the Government's Code of Practice on access to Government Information.
Royal Marines
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason permission was not sought for Royal Marines to land at Bagram Airport before they arrived. [30780]
Mr. Hoon: The deployment of Royal Marines to Bagram was a coalition operation carried out in close consultation with US forces. Appropriate contacts were made with elements of the Northern Alliance.
Strategic Defence Review
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Civil Contingencies Secretariat over the new chapter of the Strategic Defence Review. [30791]
Mr. Hoon: Officials from the Civil Contingencies Secretariat, along with those from a number of other Government Departments, are contributing to the Ministry of Defence's continuing work on the new chapter to the Strategic Defence Review.
Tax (Forces Personnel)
Mr. Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many retired officers and their widows have been identified as incorrectly paying tax on retired pay awarded since 1952 on the grounds of disability attributable to or aggravated by service. [31467]
Dr. Moonie: Further to the statement I gave the House on 23 January 2002, Official Report, columns 891–902, the latest available figures are that the Ministry of Defence has identified 967 retired Army personnel and 75 widows of retired Army personnel who are entitled to a refund of tax mistakenly paid on attributable service invaliding pensions. We continue to publicise the error and further cases may emerge.
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