asked Her Majesty's Government:
How much United Kingdom shipping has contributed to the funding of Irish Lights since the agreement with the Republic of Ireland was signed in 1985; what action they are taking to obtain a refund from the Government of the Republic of Ireland of all contributions made since 1985; what action they are taking to ensure that in future there is no contribution by United Kingdom shipping to the costs of maintaining lights in the Republic of Ireland; and when they expect negotiations on this to be completed. [HL2551]
The estimated contribution made by UK shipping to the provision of aids to navigation in the Republic of Ireland in each year since 2002-03 is set out in the evidence study following the review of funding for the Commissioners of Irish Lights published on 3 March. Data before that date are not readily available. The estimated contribution, as the report points out, arises out of the provision of an integrated service throughout Great Britain and Ireland.
The UK contribution will be the subject of discussions between the two Governments in determining a long-term funding solution. It is too early at this stage to say when negotiations will be completed and a new agreement put in place.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they accept the conclusions of the Department for Transport's internal consultant Penny Brooke's Review of Funding for the Commissioners of Irish Lights—Evidence Report, dated February 2008; whether the conclusions are accepted by the Government of the Republic of Ireland; why the answer by Baroness Crawley on 18 April 2007 (Official Report, cols. 215–16) underestimated the annual contribution to the provision of aids to navigation in the Republic of Ireland by over £2 million; and whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the report. [HL2552]
The Irish Lights Evidence Study was published with the agreement of the UK and Irish Governments. Copies of the report were placed in the House Libraries on 3 March 2008.
Two key findings of the study were that the proportion of the Commissioners of Irish Lights (CIL) expenditure falling in the Republic was 85 per cent, rather than the 70 per cent assumed in the 1985 agreement and that the General Lighthouse Fund may be contributing in total £8.5 million a year to the funding of lights in the Republic. This figure also includes CIL's portion of the costs borne directly by the General Lighthouse Fund on behalf of the three General Lighthouse Authorities which are currently excluded from the 1985 agreement.
The Answer by Baroness Crawley, which gave an estimate of £6.4 million for the annual contribution in 2005-06 to the provision of aids to navigation in the Republic of Ireland was based on the outcome assumed in the existing 1985 agreement, that is to say that the North/South expenditure split was 30/70. Redundancy costs in that year were also excluded from that figure and CIL's sundry income was netted off in arriving at that figure.