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Armenia and the British Council
Baroness Cox asked Her Majesty's Government:
- In the light of Britain's expanding commercial and other links with Armenia, whether the British Council will now look favourably on opening an office in Armenia.[HL388]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Lord Whitty): The British Council has no plans at present to open an office in Armenia, although the situation is under constant review. But
the Council is active in the country; it has a thriving programme which ranges from training courses for teachers of English and the organisation of cultural events to arranging for Armenians to participate in its European Series networking programme, which brings together young leaders and opinion formers from around the world.Gibraltar
Viscount Exmouth asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the terms of the 1969 Constitution for Gibraltar remain effective, given that both the United Kingdom and Spain are now members of the European Union.[HL400]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): The relationship between the UK and Gibraltar continues to be governed by the 1969 Constitution.
Viscount Exmouth asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the offer made by the British Government in the mid-1960s to submit the question of sovereignty over the isthmus comprising the airport at Gibraltar to an international court could be considered still to lie on the table.[HL401]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The offer we made to Spain in the 1960s to refer the legal issues involved in the Gibraltar dispute to the International Court of Justice was never formally withdrawn. The Spanish Government did not take up the offer.
GCHQ: Dismissed Staff
Lord Monkswell asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they plan to respond to the representations made on behalf of the 14 staff dismissed from GCHQ for refusing to give up their trades union membership.[HL444]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: After discussions with the Council of Civil Service Unions and the TUC, the Foreign Secretary has decided to offer compensation for lost pension rights to the 14 staff dismissed from GCHQ for retaining their membership of the national Civil Service trades unions.
This decision reflects the principled stand which the 14 trade unionists took, to the point of dismissal, against the attempt to take away their basic trades union rights.
The additional pensions benefits will be provided through a special scheme under the Superannuation Act 1972, which will be laid before Parliament once the details have been finalised.
EU and UK: New Jobs
Lord Pearson of Rannoch asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the reply given by the Leader of the House on 14 December (H.L. Deb., col. 1138) what is the split between public and private sector jobs for:
(a) the one million new jobs created in the continental European Union in the past year; and
(b) the 250,000 new jobs created in the United Kingdom in the same period.[HL398]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics, who has been asked to reply.
Letter to Lord Pearson of Rannoch from the Director of the Office for National Statistics, Dr. T. Holt, dated 12 January 1999.
As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary Question on job creation.
It is only possible to reply to the second part of the Question, in which you asked for the split between public and private sector for new jobs created in the United Kingdom in the past year. The information sought in part (a) of the question is not collected.
The figures at (a) and (b) relate to the 12 months to June 1998. The latest public/private split available (UK only) is for the year to June 1997. Figures for June 1998 will not be available until June 1999.
The latest statistics (UK only) are for the year to June 1997. These show there was a net rise of 501,000 employee jobs in the private sector, and a net fall of 69,000 in the public sector.
Lord Hardy of Wath asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Lord Whitty): It is believed that the following species of flora and fauna have become extinct in the United Kingdom between 1977 and 1997;
It is not possible to state definitively which, if any, species will become extinct within the next two years. There are a number of United Kingdom species which
are endangered (fauna) or critically endangered (flora) and the Government are taking action to address their plight.
Lord Sefton of Garston asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Whitty: Initial research in the UK led to a standard of spray suppression equipment being established that has been applied to vehicles since 1986. Further research has since been completed, a summary of which is currently being prepared. The additional research shows that further improvements of equipment is likely to prove difficult because of the problem of accurately quantifying spray and therefore measuring its efficiency.
We, along with several other member states, recognise that spray from heavy vehicles is a problem and consequently will also continue to be involved in discussions between experts in the international arena aiming to minimise the dangers caused.
Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Whitty: The study, commissioned for the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, explored a number of options for the A.303, alongside the option of a 2km cut and cover tunnel, that were affordable and deliverable within the constraints imposed by the site. Earlier consideration had shown that a twin bored tunnel would be prohibitively expensive.
Which species of flora and fauna became extinct in the United Kingdom between 1977 and 1997; and which species face the threat of extinction within the next two years.[HL328]
Flora Fauna
Agrostemma githago Mouse-eared bat
Crepis foetida Red-backed shrike
Galeopsis segeturn
Neotinea maculata
When the last research was carried out into the problem of spray on roads: what were the conclusions, if any; and whether they propose to take any action to minimise the dangers caused.[HL317]
Why the inter-departmental study of the Stonehenge road problems conducted earlier this year did not examine the costs of a twin bored tunnel for the A.303.[HL98]
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