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Written Answers

Thursday, 6th March 1997.

Extradition Statistics

Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many people were in custody following requests for extradition at the most recent date for which figures are available; and what are the maximum, minimum and median lengths of time that these people had spent in confinement.

The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Blatch): On 28 February 1997 there were 37 people in custody following requests for extradition from the United Kingdom. The maximum length of time spent in custody by these people is 841 days; the minimum is 22 days; and the median is 255½ days.

These figures do not cover requests for extradition from the United Kingdom made by the Republic of Ireland. Such requests are dealt with under the procedures laid down in the Backing of Warrants (Republic of Ireland) Act 1965, and figures for those held in custody are not held centrally.

Fire Service College

Lord Lucas of Chilworth asked Her Majesty's Government:

What action they propose to take to assist the Fire Service College in improving its financial performance.

Baroness Blatch: The Fire Service College, as the central training establishment for the fire service, makes a very important contribution to promoting effective and efficient firefighting and fire safety arrangements in the United Kingdom, and thus maintaining public safety. Its financial regime and targets need to assist it to continue to discharge this role effectively and to secure value for money but the present arrangements are not achieving this. Despite the considerable efforts of the present management team, the college has not yet been able to realise the benefits which its position as a trading fund ought to offer.

The college's corporate aim is to remain the pre- eminent higher education college for fire-related training and for promoting fire safety awareness. To help secure the future of the college and to assist it in achieving its corporate and business objectives, my right honourable friend has therefore decided to make changes to its present financial structure. He proposes to seek parliamentary approval for the payment of a grant of £13.5 million to the college. This will enable it immediately to pay off the deemed loan part of the originating capital debt when it was established as a trading fund in 1992. It will save the college £1.3 million in annual interest payments. My right honourable friend also proposes in 1997-98 to pay to

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the college a separate grant of £1.3 million so that it can continue to provide essential training courses for the fire service.

These measures will make a step change in the college's finances. They demonstrate the Government's firm commitment to securing an effective and well trained fire service.

But the future success of the college should not--and cannot--be dependent on the Government alone. It is crucially dependent on the support of its fire service customers and the college's own efforts. Fire authorities must continue to be willing to make a proper investment in the training of their brigades and to take advantage of the facilities, skills and high quality training opportunities which the college is able to offer. The college has to give priority to ensuring that the training needs of the fire service are clearly identified and effectively met. It should exploit innovative training developments. It must also continue its programme of improvements in business efficiency, to ensure high quality management and financial control and so that any ongoing requirement for assistance through Home Office grant can progressively be reduced.

Museums and Galleries: Insurance

Baroness Hooper asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will waive the rule of non-insurance for national museums and galleries, so that they can indemnify themselves adequately against public and employer's liability risks.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of National Heritage (Lord Inglewood): The total size and range of government business is so large that the government can normally meet particular or general losses at least cost by drawing directly on its own resources. Therefore, the Government's policy is that departments and non-departmental public bodies, including the national museums and galleries, should purchase commercial insurance cover only where doing so can be shown to represent value for money compared to non-insurance or where insurance is a statutory requirement. The sponsoring government departments and the Treasury will, of course, carefully consider any request to insure on a sound value for money case.

The Sevso Hoard

Lord Renfrew of Kaimsthorn asked Her Majesty's Government:

Taking into account the general similarities between the Sevso Hoard of Roman silverware and the hoards found at Mildenhall, Thetford and Water Newton, and noting that the Sevso Hoard was first offered for public sale in London, what evidence they have, in relation to its place of origin, to document the assertion (WA 63, 20 February 1997) that "it did not come from this country"; and whether the possibility of British origin was taken into consideration by the Department of National Heritage

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Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art before the hoard was permitted to leave the United Kingdom.

Lord Inglewood: It is my understanding that the Sevso Hoard was imported into this country and had documentation to prove its import, and that enquiries were made at the time to verify the authenticity of the documentation. The case was not considered by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art.

Hedgerow Loss

Lord Moran asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the current rate of hedgerow loss through removal and neglect, in all four countries of the United Kingdom.

The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Earl Ferrers): The latest survey into changes in countryside hedgerows in England and Wales, which was undertaken by the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, covered the years 1990 to 1993. This showed that an average of 2,300 miles of hedgerows were lost due to outright removal per year, whilst an average of 2,700 miles of new hedgerows were planted per year, giving an approximate average gain of some 500 miles of hedgerows per year.

The figures for "neglect" cover a variety of circumstances, such as hedges which have been allowed to overgrow in an unmaintained condition, hedges which have developed gaps, thereby resulting in non continuous hedge lines, and hedges which have been replaced by fencing.

The survey showed that an average annual rate of 18,100 miles of hedgerows were lost as a result of management neglect, while an average of 7,300 miles of hedgerows were restored per year. The survey also showed that hedgerows were lost to the countryside at an average rate of 1,100 miles per year due to the development of buildings.

In Scotland, the latest date for which a survey was carried out covered the years between 1973 and 1988. This indicated that rather less than 250 miles of hedgerows on average were lost each year.

Responsibility for operational aspects of the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland's interest in hedgerows has been delegated to the Chief Executive of the Environment and Heritage Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter to Lord Moran from the Chief Executive of the Environment and Heritage Service, Mr. Robert C. Martin, dated 26 February 1997.

I regret that we do not have the information which you request for Northern Ireland. Between 1986 and 1991 we commissioned a number of surveys which together formed the Northern Ireland Countryside Survey. Although sample-based, this work gives us a good picture of the extent and condition of a range of field boundary types. It is proposed to repeat this exercise towards the end of the current decade and a

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comparison of the two surveys will give us a means of quantifying change in the countryside, including any loss or removal of hedgerows.

I am sorry that I cannot be more helpful at this stage.

Show Houses: Rates

Baroness Wharton asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether it remains their policy to bring forward a response to recent representations about the taxation of show houses "coterminous" with the proceedings on the Local Government and Rating Bill.

Earl Ferrers: We have received representations from the House Builders Federation and the Manufacturing and Construction Alliance to the effect that show houses should be subject to the council tax rather than to non-domestic rates. We have since met both organisations to discuss this matter. If we decide that show houses should be treated as domestic, we could effect this change through secondary legislation.

Light Dues: Reduction

Lord Brabazon of Tara asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether there are any proposed changes to the current level of light dues.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Transport (Viscount Goschen): We are pleased to announce that light dues for 1997-98 will be reduced by about 4.6 per cent. from 43 pence to 41 pence per net ton, with consequential reductions to other charges. This reduction, coming after four years of stability, takes rates back to below those established in 1992. It is a clear demonstration of the increasing efficiency of the three General Lighthouse Authorities.

We are announcing changes to the light dues regulations which are designed to simplify some aspects of collection and will remove the liability to pay light dues in certain cases. Vessels liable to pay light dues by reference to their tonnage that do not hold an International Tonnage Certificate (1969) will pay on the basis of their gross registered tonnage.

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