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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 8 January 2003
CABINET OFFICE
Refurbishment (Whitehall)
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if a Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method document has been prepared for the refurbishment at 70 Whitehall; and if he will place a copy in the Library. [89076]
Mr. Alexander: The external refurbishment work currently being undertaken at 70 Whitehall does not require a BREEAM assessment.
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what action is being taken by his Department to ensure that timber procured for use in the current refurbishment of 70 Whitehall is sourced legally and sustainably. [89077]
Mr. Alexander: External refurbishment works are currently being undertaken at 70 Whitehall. Timber or timber products are not being used in the current refurbishment of 70 Whitehall.
Timber
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what refurbishment and redevelopment is being undertaken at 70 Whitehall; how much timber will be used; from which countries this will be sourced; and which companies are supplying this timber. [89075]
Mr. Alexander: External refurbishment work is currently being undertaken at 70 Whitehall.
Timber or timber products are not being used in the current refurbishment of 70 Whitehall.
Energy White Paper
Sue Doughty: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what meetings his officials have held with external organisations concerning the preparation of the Energy White Paper; and in each case, who attended and when the meeting took place. [88537]
Mr. Wilson : I have been asked to reply.
As part of the preparation of the Energy White Paper my officials have held a large number of meetings and expert workshops with external organisations. These covered a wide range of issues and included three opening workshops in London, Glasgow and Newport, a final integrative conference in London and workshops on regional issues, energy policy and long term carbon reductions, energy efficiency, renewables and the energy implications of PIU energy review. Workshops and focus groups were also held with the general public. Details are posted on the DTI's website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/developep/reports.shtml.
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GM Crops
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what role was played by Lord Sainsbury in the study carried out by the Strategy Unit into GM crops; and whether Lord Sainsbury has access to papers held by the unit. [89095]
Mr. Alexander: Lord Sainsbury has had no role in the Strategy Unit study on GM crops. The project team has had no contact with him and he has not had access to any papers held by the unit.
Ministerial Cars
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what the average cost per Minister arising from the allocation of a ministerial car was in each of the last three years; [89072]
- (2) how many Ministers are entitled to the allocation of a car; and how many Ministers in each year from 1997 have chosen not to avail themselves of one; [89073]
(3) what assessment he has made of the practicality of replacement by a car pool of the system of allocation of cars individually to Ministers; and if he will estimate the savings which would result were such a scheme implemented. [89071]
Mr. Alexander: The responsibility for the provision of ministerial cars and drivers has been delegated under the terms of the Framework Document to the Government Car Despatch Agency. I have asked its chief executive Mr Nick Matheson to write to the hon. Member. Copies of his letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
CHURCH COMMISSIONERS
Freehold
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, if he will make a statement about retention of freehold in the context of the Archbishop's Council's review. [88669]
Mr. Bell: As promised in my answer of 19 December 2002, I have provided the hon. Gentleman with the Group's Terms of Reference, and have placed a copy in the Library. The Group will be looking at the freehold, but will give priority to consideration of the position of clergy without the freehold. Its full terms of reference are:
- Xto review the terms under which the clergy hold office to ensure a proper balance between rights and responsibilities, and clear procedures for resolving disputes which afford full protection against possible injustice;
- to consider in this context the future of the freehold and the position of the clergy in relation to statutory employment rights; and
- in the review, to give priority to consideration of the position of clergy without the freehold or employment contracts, and to report on this aspect in 2003 with detailed proposals and a programme for their implementation, the rest of the review to be completed, if possible, in 2004".
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SOLICITOR-GENERAL
Royal Butler Prosecutions
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Solicitor-General what the cost was to public funds of the prosecution relating to (a) Paul Burrell and (b) Harold Brown; and if she will make a statement. [86183]
The Solicitor-General: The cost of the prosecutions relating to (a) Paul Burrell and (b) Harold Brown to public funds has not yet been ascertained.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Solicitor-General on what date the Crown Prosecution Service became aware of the existence of a written authority from the Prince of Wales to Harold Brown, authorising him to dispose of a gold wedding ring; and if she will make a statement. [86185]
The Solicitor-General: The CPS has no knowledge of such a document. Following the statement to the judge at court on 2 December 2002, that the Crown would be offering no evidence against the defendants defence, counsel for Harold Brown produced and read out to the court a document that the CPS has to this day not seen. To the best of our knowledge, Harold Brown was not named in the document, nor did it concern the sale of any item.
TRANSPORT
Air Traffic
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of air traffic dealt with by (a) Swanwick, (b) Prestwick, (c) West Drayton and (d) other air traffic control operators is (i) over 20,000 feet, (ii) over 25,000 feet and (iii) under 20,000 feet. [89001]
Mr. Jamieson: It is not possible to disaggregate this information to the level requested. In November 2002, the latest full month for which final information is available, the total number of flights handled by NATS was 157,635. Many of these flights were handled by more than one centre at different stages of their passage through UK airspace. The number of flights handled by each centre in that month was as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Swanwick | 129,690 |
| Prestwick (including oceanic flights) | 64,612 |
| West Drayton | 95,078 |
| Manchester | 47,305. |
Air Transport
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 16 December 2002, Official Report, column 641W, on the future development of air transport, how many Scottish consultation documents were sent out by his Department by (a) 30 November and (b) 10 December. [88418]
Mr. Jamieson: The breakdown of Scottish consultation documents dispatched by 30 November and 10 December is shown in the following table.
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| 30 November | 10 December | |
|---|---|---|
| Main document | 5,915 | 5,930 |
| Summary document | 7,176 | 7,181 |
| Questionnaires | 6,655 | 6,676 |
Airport Capacity (South-East)
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what relative weight will be given to responses to the consultation on the future of airport capacity in the south-east in the form of (a) individual letters and (b) questionnaire responses. [88495]
Mr. Jamieson: All responses to the consultation, whether in the form of individual letters or completed NOP questionnaires, will be fully considered and analysed carefully.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what external professional advice was taken into account in devising the questionnaire on airport capacity in the South East; [88496]
- (2) if he will revise and recirculate the questionnaire with regard to the consultation on airport capacity in the South East; and what representations he has received on the drafting and format of the questionnaire. [88497]
Mr. Jamieson: NOP were commissioned by the Department to advise on the drafting and format of the South East questionnaire prior to the start of the consultation on 23 July 2002.
Since then there have been a number of representations from both individuals and organisations about the content and format of the questionnaire. We are considering these points carefully and plan to issue a revised questionnaire when the further South East consultation document is published early in 2003. Those who have already completed the existing questionnaire will be able to replace it with the new version should they wish to do so.
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