Written Answers
Thursday, 5th February 1998.
Argentina: Arms Embargo Exception
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether there have been any new exceptions to the arms embargo on Argentina. [HL484]
We have recently granted an exception to the embargo to allow the sale of 155 NBC suits and 50 pairs of boots for use by the Argentine contingent of the UN task force in Kuwait. This is an exception but not a change to the embargo.
Intelligence And Security Services: Nationality Rules
asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Answer by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 23 July 1997 (HC Deb., col. 605), whether they intend to make any changes to the nationality rules for applicants for employment with the intelligence and security services. [HL485]
After a detailed and careful review of existing procedures in which the interests of not discriminating against the
| Department | Total | Staff | Visitors | Ministers |
| Cabinet Office | 48 | *39 | 0 | 9 |
| Culture, Media and Sport | 13 | *9 | 0 | 4 |
| Environment, Transport and the Regions | 209 | 129 | 171 | 9 |
| Education and Employment | 253 | 240 | 7 | 6 |
| International Development | 51 | 46 | 3 | 2 |
| Health | 288 | 268 | 14 | 6 |
| Social Security2 | 293 | *293 | 0 | 0 |
| Trade and Industry | 181 | *172 | 0 | 9 |
| Foreign and Commonwealth Office | 116 | 96 | 15 | 5 |
| Treasury3 | 429 | *424 | 0 | 5 |
| Home Office4 | 155 | *155 | 0 | 0 |
| Lord Chancellor's Office | 343 | 334 | 6 | 3 |
| Agriculture, Fisheries and Food | 41 | *37 | 0 | 4 |
| Defence | 186 | *183 | 0 | 0 |
| Northern Ireland Office | 18 | *12 | 0 | 6 |
| Scottish Office | 16 | 12 | 0 | 4 |
| Welsh Office | 6 | *4 | 0 | 2 |
| Government Office for London5 | 24 | 16 | 8 | — |
| * Denotes departments which do not differentiate between car parking spaces for visitors and staff. | ||||
| 1 Includes 60 spaces at 2 Marsham Street which are to be vacated by April 1998. | ||||
| 2 Ministerial car parking spaces included in Department of Health figures. | ||||
| 3 Includes Inland Revenue and Customs & Exices. | ||||
| 4 Ministerial vehicles park on outside courtyard of Home Office. | ||||
| 5 Comprises staff from Environment, Transport and the Regions, Trade and Industry and Employment and Education. | ||||
individual have been balanced against the requirements of national security, my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary has approved several changes to the nationality rules for employment with GCHQ and the Secret Intelligence Service. My right honourable friend the Home Secretary has approved the same changes with respect to the Security Service. The new rules still require that an applicant or employee should be a British citizen, (and hold no other citizenship) but those relating to parental nationality have been simplified. The requirement is now that at least one parent should be British or have substantial ties with the United Kingdom. The rule restricting the nationality of spouses and cohabitants to limited categories of countries has also been relaxed. It will, however, continue to be the case that the circumstances of each applicant are examined in detail as part of the security vetting process in order to assess any risks. The new rules will come into force with immediate effect.
Government Departments In Central London: Parking Spaces
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will state, for each government departmental office in central London, the number of parking spaces for officials, Ministers and visitors. [HL70]
The number of parking spaces held by government departmental offices in central London are as follows:
Cotswold Way National Trail
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will approve proposals for a Cotswold Way National Trail. [HL507]
My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions has today approved without modifications the Countryside Commission's proposals for a Cotswold Way National Trail. The trail will be a long distance walking route between Bath and Chipping Campden, mainly within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, following broadly the route of the existing Cotswold Way path.Establishment of this new National Trail will safeguard the Cotswold Way for future generations. It will increase the enjoyment of users through better safety and overall facilities, and introduce new recreational opportunities for many people of varying abilities. It will bring economic benefits to businesses in the area and provide increased protection for wildlife and historic sites. The decision took account of the strong local support for the commission's proposals and local people will be involved in the planning and development of the route.
Byways: Vehicle Management
What conclusions they have reached from the consultation exercise on managing vehicles on byways. [HL508]
Motor vehicles on byways can cause considerable localised damage. There may be a need for better management of byways at local level. We therefore:acknowledge that there may be a case for changes to the road traffic regulation powers of highway authorities. We intend to consider whether the scope of the circumstances for making traffic regulation orders should be widened to include nature and landscape conservation. We also intend to look at the scope for streamlining the procedures surrounding traffic regulation orders;are publishing today a practical guide to managing vehicles on byways
Making the Best of Byways. Copies are being distributed to highway authorities and others with an interest: and
wish to encourage the promotion of codes of conduct for members of vehicle groups.
However, we have found no compelling evidence of widespread problems being caused by recreational use of motor vehicles on byways and have concluded that there is no case for a general ban.
Farm Incomes
asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their latest estimate of farm incomes. [HL384]
Estimated figures show that Total Farm Income from Farming fell by 37 per cent. in real terms in 1997. The fall shows substantial increases in incomes in recent years and reflects the lower prices for many agricultural commodities. A major factor is the strength of the pound sterling, which affects all sectors of the economy. Detailed estimates of the income, output and productivity of United Kingdom Agriculture in 1997 were published on 30 January and have been placed in the Library of the House.
Beef And Sheep Producers: Support Package
asked Her Majesty's Government:What rates of aid will be paid to beef and sheep producers as a result of the package announced on 22 December 1997. [HL448]
My right honourable friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food indicated in his statement that consultation with the Commission would be necessary. The Commission was not able to approve my proposals for an increase in HLCA rates for one year only, but Commissioner Fischler has co-operated with him in devising an acceptable alternative which maintains the overall value of the package at £85 million and divides the benefit between sheep and beef producers as he had originally proposed. He will now therefore be utilising £85 million of the EU compensation available to offset the effects of sterling green rate revaluations. £72.5 million will go to suckler cow producers on the basis of their 1996 claims; £12.5 million will go to sheep producers on the basis of their 1997 ewe premium claims. The latter sum will be drawn from compensation to be calculated in respect of the livestock headage payments whose rate is determined each year by the green rate applying on 1 January.For suckler cows, the rate of aid will be £44.20 per head. Precise figures for sheep will be determined shortly, but my right honourable friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food expects them to be around 50p per head at the basic rate and 73p per head in the LFA.My right honourable friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will separately be laying an order maintaining HLCA rates for 1998 at their 1996 levels.
Welfare To Work Scheme Costs
asked Her Majesty's Government:What estimates they have made of the likely costs to Scottish local authorities of the Government's "Welfare to Work" scheme; and, if there are costs, what steps they propose to take to reimburse local authorities. [HL266]
No such cost estimates have been made. Where local authorities are involved in the New Deal programme, it is expected that their costs will be included in their contracting proposals.
Hyundai Plant, Dunfermline
asked Her Majesty's Government:How much public money has been spent on the Hyundai project at Dunfermline, and when they envisage the factory will start production. [HL269]
No payments of Regional Selective Assistance or of financial assistance from Scottish Enterprise have yet been made to Hyundai. Expenditure by the Scottish Enterprise Network on acquiring, levelling and servicing the Hyundai site totals £13.8 million.Construction of the new plant is expected to be completed by the end of May. Hyundai has indicated that there may be a delay of up to 12 months in equipping and commissioning the new facility, pending recovery in the financial markets in Korea.
Scotland Bill: Notes On Clauses
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will make available to members of the public, without charge, copies of
Notes on Clauses on the Scotland Bill. [HL285]
As is the usual practice, Notes on Clauses will be made available to Members. In addition, notes covering all parts of the Bill, with the exception of Schedule 5, are now available free of charge on the Internet through the Scottish Parliament web site (www.scottish-devolution.org.uk). Notes on Schedule 5 will be made available shortly in the same way. Printed copies of the complete set of Notes on Clauses will also be available for purchase through The Stationery Office bookshops. Revised notes will be made available when the Bill reaches this House.
Commonwealth Development Corporation
asked Her Majesty's Government:How their plans for the transformation of the Commonwealth Development Corporation into a public/private partnership are progressing; and by what date they anticipate their realisation. [HL398]
Work on the detailed structure of the new public/private partnership has started and is progressing well. The date for creation of the new partnership will depend on how quickly it is possible to secure legislative time.
Zimbabwe: Aid
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will be prepared to allocate additional aid (over and above that already planned for and announced) to Zimbabwe to help that country recover from its present economic crisis; and, if so, how much and on what conditions. [HL399]
The International Monetary Fund is discussing with Zimbabwe the measures that are needed to stabilise the economy. British aid, including additional aid for economic reforms, will only be considered in the context of a partnership with Zimbabwe to eliminate poverty.
Uganda: Aid
asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the amount of:
which is expected to be allocated to Uganda in 1997–98; and how much of that aid will be channelled through the Ugandan Government. [HL402]
(a) We expect to disburse approximately £49 million of bilateral development assistance to Uganda in 1997–98. Of this, £19 million will be for budgetary assistance to the Government of Uganda, in the form of reimbursement for expenditure on primary education and other priority areas of the budget. £6.5 million is being committed to an African Development Bank Trust Fund to support debt relief for Uganda under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. Approximately £15 million of our assistance involves support for GoU institutions, which is linked to UK technical assistance and related equipment and other costs funded directly by the Department for International Development. Smaller amounts are being channelled through a variety of non-government organisations and agencies.
(b) Based on disbursement profiles for previous years, we estimate that total multilateral disbursements to Uganda in 1997 will be in the region of £220 million, with an estimated UK share of approximately £15 million. The bulk of such assistance is likely to be channelled through the Government of Uganda.
Library Services
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will protect library services for disabled and aged citizens in towns and cities and also in rural areas. [HL74]
The Government are responsible for ensuring that local library authorities provide a comprehensive and efficient public library service in accordance with the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964. Under the terms of the Act, library authorities are responsible for providing library services to those, including the disabled and aged, who live, work or study within their areas. While the Government regret any reductions in library service, the detailed nature of service provision is a matter for each library authority based on local priorities and resources.
Ministers' "Partners": Official Status
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether there is a minimum period for which a sexual relationship with a Minister must have lasted for the person concerned to be granted the status of "partner" with the entitlement to benefits hitherto confined to spouses. [HL335]
The principle governing who may accompany a Minister on overseas travel remains unchanged: it must be on official business, clearly in the public interest and with the Prime Minister's prior approval. There are no other criteria.
Stamp Duty On Stock Transfers
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are considering abolishing the 50p rate of stamp duty on stock transfers etc. in view of the administrative cost of processing involved, including postage. [HL284]
I have noted the noble Lord's suggestion, which will be borne in mind.
Petrol Stations: Liquor Licences
asked Her Majesty's Government:How many petrol filling stations in the United Kingdom are licensed to sell liquor. [HL354]
This information is not collected centrally but it is understood that such licences are relatively rare.
Juveniles: Secure Remand Places
asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Jay of Paddington on 26 November 1997
(WA 123), how many additional secure places in local authority accommodation are planned to be made available in England and Wales during the years following 1998. [HL324]
The Government have instituted a review of the whole range of secure accommodation for young offenders and young people held on remand, including the local authority secure estate. The review is examining how to make better use of the existing and planned accommodation to ensure that provision is more consistent and coherent, and that regimes tackle criminality and meet the educational and other needs of these young people. The Government will be considering the outcome of the review, which is due to report shortly, when planning the implementation of these proposals. The review will help inform whether there should be a further expansion of the secure estate.
Maternity Allowance Payments
asked Her Majesty's Government:How many women are receiving maternity allowance of £1,800 a week; and how this amount is divided between the employer and social security funds. [HL92]
The information is not available in the format requested. In 1995–96, the latest tax year for which information is available, the average total payment received by the 10 per cent. of Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) recipients getting the highest amounts of SMP was £3,570. The average total payment received by the 20 per cent. of SMP recipients getting the lowest amounts was £1,000.Employers administer the SMP scheme. Larger employers are reimbursed 92 per cent. of the SMP they pay out. Smaller employers, those with gross National Insurance payments of £20,000 a year or less, are reimbursed the full cost of SMP.
Sources: