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Written Answers to Questions
Friday 20 April 1990
PRIME MINISTER
Children
Mr. Canavan : To ask the Prime Minister whether she will attend the summit meeting of world leaders to be held by the United Nations on 29 to 30 September to address the urgent needs of children in the 1990s ; and if she will make a statement about the role of Her Majesty's Government in planning the agenda for the meeting.
The Prime Minister : I cannot yet say whether it will be possible for me to attend this summit. The United Kingdom is, however, contributing actively to its preparation. We are a member of the planning committee set up by the six original sponsors, and are also playing a full part in the working groups set up to prepare particular aspects.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Teachers (Criminal Proceedings)
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish for each of the last five years for each local education authority the number of teachers who lost their posts following a successful prosecution in the criminal courts.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The information requested is not available. A teacher's employment may be terminated as a result of misconduct (whether evidenced by criminal conviction or otherwise) either following a decision by my right hon. Friend to exclude him or restrict his employment, or as a result of internal disciplinary proceedings by his employer. The available information relates only to decisions taken by my right hon. Friend and is not categorised by local education authority area.
Asbestos (Schools)
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools have asbestos in them ; and where they are located.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The Department does not keep records of how many individual schools contain asbestos.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Vagrancy
Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people of no fixed abode were arrested in the years 1988 and 1989 in (a) the Metropolitan police district and (b) England and Wales.
Mr. Waddington : The information requested is not available.
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Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the total sums airlines have been fined under the Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act for each year since its introduction ; and what are the figures for each airline.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The number of demands for payment of the currently set penalty of £1,000 issued to all carriers (that is, airlines and sea operators) in each year since the introduction of the Act in March 1987 was as follows :
|Number
---------------------
1987 |3,921
1988 |4,211
1989 |6,337
Information on demands issued to individual airlines is not readily available.
Justices' Clerks
Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who has responsibility for instigating disciplinary procedures against justices' clerks.
Mr. John Patten : This is a matter for the magistrates courts committee concerned.
ENVIRONMENT
European Environment Commissioner
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last met the European Environment Commissioner ; and what was discussed.
Mr. Trippier : My right hon. Friend met Commissioner Ripa di Meana at the meeting of the Environment Council on 22 March. The outcome of these discussions was reported in my right hon. Friend's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Mr. Mitchell) on 27 March.
Wargaming
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the impact of wargaming upon the environment ; and whether he plans to take any protective measures.
Mr. Trippier : Sensitive environments are protected in appropriate cases by regulations and byelaws against damage from recreational activities. Local authorities and local residents have powers to take action against excessive noise or other forms of nuisance. The need for additional protective measures is kept under constant review.
London Demonstration
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the organisers of the anti-poll tax march and rally held in London on 31 March asked to transfer the rally venue to Hyde park ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Trippier : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Sparkbrook (Mr. Hattersley) on 19 April.
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Charge Capping Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report the precise criteria used to decide the extent of the budget reduction required for each local authority designated for charge capping in 1990-91.
Mr. Hunt : The cap which my right hon. Friend has proposed for each designated authority reflects his view, on the basis of all the information available to him, of a reasonable and appropriate level of budget reduction for that authority in all its circumstances.
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the local authorities which would have been subject to the capping of the community charge had his selection of expenditure levels not been included as a qualification.
Mr. Chope [holding answer 18 April 1990] : It would not be right for me to speculate about the consequences of adopting some selection principles different from those which my right hon. Friend has determined and which he is satisfied are reasonable, appropriate and in accordance with the statute.
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many district councils will be affected by his statement on capping which was given to the House on 3 April ; what is the number of adults liable for the poll tax in each district council area and what is the total ; what is the number of people eligible for rebates or transitional relief in each district council area and what is the total ; and if he has any estimate of the likely costs of rebilling and recalculating for the total number of people affected.
Mr. Chope [holding answer 18 April 1990] : My right hon. Friend designated 10 district councils for capping on 3 April 1990. Another 14 district councils (excluding Bristol which itself was designated) will be affected by capping by virtue of the designation of Avon and Derbyshire county councils. Following is a list of the district councils concerned together with the relevant population of each and the total. The Department does not have information about the numbers of people eligible for community charge benefit or transitional relief in each area.
(i) District Councils designated for
capping
Council |Relevant
|Population
-------------------------------------
Barnsley |167,712
Basildon |119,185
Bristol |290,725
Calderdale |143,540
Doncaster |218,650
North Tyneside |151,181
Rochdale |158,227
Rotherham |201,284
St. Helens |136,039
Wigan |231,410
|----
Total |1,817,953
(ii) Other District Councils affected by
capping
Council |Relevant
|Population
--------------------------------------------
Bath |57,700
Kingswood |67,953
Northavon |94,745
Wansdyke |60,311
Woodspring |140,098
Amber Valley |86,949
Bolsolver |54,433
Chesterfield |77,412
Derby |164,676
Erewash |83,899
High Peak |63,382
North East Derbyshire |75,126
South Derbyshire |54,510
Derbyshire Dales |53,569
|----
Total |1,134,763
|----
Grand Total |2,952,716
The Department estimates that the cost of issuing new charge bills, including recalculating community charge benefit and transitional relief as appropriate, would on average be about £200,000 per charging authority.
Local Authority Debt Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total amount of debt incurred by each English shire county for the latest year for which figures are available.
Mr. Chope : The information requested is set out in the table :
Total debt outstanding at 31 March 1989
|£ million
-------------------------------------------
Avon |155
Bedfordshire |178
Berkshire |n/a
Buckinghamshire |123
Cambridgeshire |105
Cheshire |193
Cleveland |282
Cornwall |91
Cumbria |105
Derbyshire |203
Devon |211
Dorset |138
Durham |53
East Sussex |128
Essex |n/a
Gloucestershire |92
Hampshire |156
Hereford and Worcester |n/a
Hertfordshire |128
Humberside |157
Isle of Wight |35
Kent |221
Lancashire |360
Leicestershire |181
Lincolnshire |104
Norfolk |53
Northamptonshire |147
Northumberland |48
North Yorkshire |99
Nottinghamshire |208
Oxfordshire |82
Shropshire |68
Somerset |72
Staffordshire |245
Suffolk |108
Surrey |249
Warwickshire |92
West Sussex |32
Wiltshire |47
n/a=Berkshire, Essex and Hereford and
Worcester have not yet submitted returns.
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Atmospheric Pollution
Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress the United Kingdom has made towards meeting its target reduction of nitrous, nitric and sulphuric oxides emissions by 1993.
Mr. Trippier : Using 1980 as a baseline, the UK is committed to reducing emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO ) by 20 per cent. and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) by 15 per cent. from existing large combustion plants by 1993 as the first stage of directive 88/609/EEC. The current "Digest of Environmental Protection and Water Statistics" (a copy of which is in the House of Commons Library) shows that in 1988 relevant emissions of SO and NOx were 21 per cent. and 10 per cent. lower, respectively, than in 1980.
Nature Conservancy Council
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to respond to the report of the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology on the future of the Nature Conservancy Council.
Mr. Trippier : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 5 April to the hon. Member for Glanford and Scunthrope (Mr. Morley) at column 784.
Local Government Finance
Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what proposals he has to collect information from local authorities about the level of their standard community charge ;
(2) when he expects to know which local authorities are levying a standard community charge at less than twice the personal community charge.
Mr. Chope : We are collecting information about standard charge multipliers for 1990-91 in a return which authorities have been asked to make to the Department in May.
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list for each district authority in England (a) the amount of Government grant per authority, (b) the amount of UBR income per authority, (c) the taxable income per authority and (d) the revenue from taxable income per authority assumed in the 1990-91 "Illustrative Capital Value Rates and Local Income Tax" published by his Department on 4 April ;
(2) if he will set out the formula for taxable income used to produce the 1990-91 "Illustrative Capital Value Rates and Local Income Tax" published by his Department on 4 April ;
(3) if he will set out the grant formula used to produce the 1990-91 "Illustrative Capital Value Rates and Local Income Tax" published by his Department on 4 April.
Mr. Chope [holding answer 18 April 1990] : The illustrative capital value rates and local income tax figures published on 4 April assume that Government funds and business rates are distributed to achieve full equalisation of local income tax rates. This means that in every area the same local income tax rate could apply if all local authorities were spending at the level needed to provide a standard level of services. The level of grant entitlement
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would vary if expenditure were at a different level in order to ensure that each £1 per head of additional spending in any area would lead to exactly the same change in the local income tax rate. Areas with high average taxable incomes would receive less grant with higher spending, while areas with low taxable resources would receive more grant with higher spending. No reliable estimate of the taxable income of residents in each local authority area is available and hence no estimate of grant and business rate payments to each authority was made when producing the illustrative figures.Bathing Water
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a list of those bathing beaches sampled by the water research centre in its project on rotaviruses in sewage discharges.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : In the centre's research for the Department, samples were taken from the north and south beaches and bathing water at Tenby ; bathing water and sediment at Watchouse bay, near Barry ; bathing water at Barmouth and, in Dyfed, Pendine East and Pembrey, Cefn Sidan.
Demolition (Planning Control)
Mr. Dykes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will issue a consultation paper inviting views on whether planning controls should be extended to the demolition of dwelling houses.
Mr. Michael Spicer : My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State and the Secretary of State for Wales have today issued a consultation paper. It describes the issue, invites views on the scale of the problem, and seeks comments on various options for extending planning controls to the demolition of dwelling houses.
Storm Damage
Mr. Mans : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will announce the special financial assistance under the Bellwin scheme to be given to those local authorities whose coasts suffered damage as a result of the severe storms during 25 and 26 February.
Mr. Chope [holding answer 18 April 1990] : I hope to make an announcement shortly.
Radioactive Gas Emissions, Sellafield
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment has been made of the extent to which emissions of radioactive gas from Pond 5 fuel handling plant at Sellafield arising from works carried out and chemical reactions in the pond itself, comply with statutory requirements.
Mr. Trippier [holding answer 18 April 1990] : The emissions of radioactive gas from this plant are continuously sampled and monitored by BNFL. The measurements demonstrate that these discharges comply with statutory requirements.
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DEFENCE
Submarines
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish a list of Z-berth locations for submarines in the United Kingdom and those sites which he is planning to use.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Bow and Poplar (Ms. Gordon) on 5 May 1989 at column 276. We have, since this date, decided to establish Swansea as a Z- berth. The Royal Navy's requirements for port visits by nuclear-powered submarines are continually under review. When a port appears suitable and practical, the safety considerations are discussed with local civil authorities.
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he has given to the development of Milford Haven as an operational base for submarines.
ENERGY
British Coal (Notification Procedures)
Mr. Andy Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to receive the results of the attitude survey carried out to assess public satisfaction with British Coal's notification procedures.
Mr. Baldry : I have now received this report and the accompanying data and have placed copies in the Library of both Houses. It clearly shows that there is a strong wish for individual notification of households and we are discussing with British Coal how best this can be implemented.
Environmental Protection
Mr. Frank Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what steps he will take to ensure that the timetable for reviewing the proposals for renewable energy projects does not preclude a full environmental assessment.
Mr. Peter Morrison : All renewable energy projects will have to comply with normal planning procedures.
My Department's research programme on renewable energy includes extensive work on environmental assessment to help provide information on which the environmental acceptability of renewable energy technologies could be judged.
Mains Supply (Rural Areas)
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what forms of grant aid or subsidy will be available after privatisation to electricity distribution companies seeking to connect rural areas to the mains supply.
Mr. Wakeham : I do not believe that the post-privatisation arrangements for rural supplies require financial assistance by the Government.
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Fuel Exports and Imports
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will give for each month from January 1989 the total export and import of (a) oil, (b) gas and (c) coal in tonnes and in value on the same basis as his answer of 9 November 1989, Official Report, columns 767-68 ;
(2) if he will give for each month from January 1989 the total export and import of (a) oil, (b) gas and (c) coal in coal-equivalent tonnes for both gas and oil.
Mr. Wakeham : The equivalent information for exports and imports of oil, gas and coal for each month from January 1989, set out on the same basis as my earlier answer of 9 November 1989, Official Report, columns 767 -68, are shown in tables 1 and 3. I have also set out figures in tonnes of coal equivalent, for both gas and oil, in table 2.
Table 1
Thousand tonnes
1989 Exports (f.o.bImports (c.i.f)
|Coal |Oil<1>|Coal |Gas<2>|Oil
----------------------------------------------------
January |167 |6,519 |940 |1,456 |5,332
February |126 |4,346 |930 |1,566 |4,820
March |175 |6,298 |1,214 |1,474 |4,506
April |119 |5,320 |1,100 |1,586 |4,693
May |126 |4,379 |1,034 |1,526 |4,610
June |170 |5,681 |999 |1,176 |4,824
July |179 |5,688 |653 |962 |4,756
August |175 |5,286 |771 |906 |4,195
September |175 |5,883 |902 |854 |5,450
October |260 |7,184 |1,005 |906 |5,511
November |218 |6,876 |1,638 |1,316 |4,944
December |182 |5,849 |949 |1,356 |4,443
1990
January |269 |7,552 |1,194 |1,462 |6,523
February |181 |6,209 |893 |1,433 |5,292
Source: Customs and Excise Overseas Trade
Statistics (The oil
exports figures include adjustments to the Overseas
Trade Statistics
data for the under-recording of direct exports of
crude oil).
<1> Contains a small amount of natural gas exports.
<2> Coal equivalent.
Table 2 Thousand tonnes of coal equivalent
1989 Exports (f.o.bImports (c.i.f)
|Gas |Oil |Gas |Oil
---------------------------------------------
January |- |11,142|1,456 |9,094
February |- |7,434 |1,566 |8,216
March |- |10,774|1,474 |7,687
April |- |9,105 |1,586 |7,993
May |- |7,476 |1,526 |7,871
June |2 |9,687 |1,176 |8,230
July |- |9,727 |962 |8,103
August |4 |9,017 |906 |7,152
September |2 |10,052|854 |9,296
October |- |12,249|906 |9,394
November |- |11,730|1,316 |8,447
December |- |9,991 |1,356 |7,587
1990
January |- |12,901|1,462 |11,122
February |6 |10,597|1,433 |9,023
Table 3
£ million at 1985 prices<1>
1989 Exports (f.o.bImports (c.i.f.)
|Coal |Oil<2>|Coal |Gas |Oil
----------------------------------------------------
January |6 |1,124 |50 |109 |860
February |5 |751 |50 |118 |777
March |7 |1,069 |65 |111 |727
April |5 |912 |59 |119 |757
May |5 |749 |55 |115 |743
June |7 |971 |53 |88 |778
July |7 |972 |35 |72 |767
August |7 |900 |41 |68 |677
September |7 |1,012 |48 |64 |879
October |10 |1,222 |54 |68 |889
November |8 |1,165 |88 |99 |797
December |7 |993 |51 |102 |716
1990
January |10 |1,287 |64 |110 |1,052
February |7 |1,066 |48 |108 |853
<1> Figures at 1985 constant prices have been
derived by applying the
unit value for exports in 1985 to the relevant
volumes in 1989 and 1990.
<2> Contains a small amount of natural gas exports.
Accountancy Firms
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the accountancy firms which are being used for the electricity privatisation.
Mr. Baldry : I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson) on 5 February 1990 at columns 454-58.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Disablement Benefits
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what response he has received to "The Way Ahead : Benefits for Disabled People" from the Spastics Society ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Scott : The Spastics Society was represented at a meeting I held on 5 April with the Disability Benefits Consortium to discuss "The Way Ahead". We shall give careful consideration to all the society's comments in carrying forward the detailed work on our proposals.
Nursing Homes
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will indicate projected expenditure in the current year and the next five years on (a) private residential homes, (b) private nursing homes and (c) Department of Social Security payments to local authorities for community care ; and if he will indicate the expected number of elderly persons who in each case will benefit.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : At August 1989, the latest date for which figures are available, total income support expenditure on an annualised basis for people in independent residential care homes and nursing homes was estimated to be £1,073 million to 173,000 claimants. Of that total £639 million is for those receiving residential care, £434 million for nursing care. All figures are rounded. Information about expected numbers of income support claimants and expenditure for future years is published in the public expenditure White Paper (Cm. 1014). It has never been the practice to publish separate forecasts about expenditure specifically on people in residential care and nursing homes.
Column 1034
Community Charge Benefit
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many poll tax payers in Scotland who are in receipt of benefit have been subject to deduction of benefit ; and if he will classify benefit recipients by size of income and on that basis, indicate for each category, how many persons have been subject to deduction of benefit of (a) less than 20p a week, (b) 20p to 49p a week, (c) 50p to 99p a week, (d) £1 to £1.99 a week, (e) £2 to £4.99 a week, (f) £5 to £9.99 a week and (g) over £10 a week.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
TRANSPORT
Motorways (Speed Restrictions)
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish for motorways in England a list of any sections where speed restrictions up to 50 mph have been in existence for periods of (i) up to one year, (ii) one to three years, (iii) three to five years and (iv) over five years.
Mr. Atkins : Mandatory speed restrictions for some motorway maintenance schemes were introduced in August 1988 for reasons of safety. Since then the following sections have been subject to speed restrictions for major (over £0.5 million) maintenance schemes. All had durations of less than one year.
1988-89 |Section --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A1(M) |Barton-Burtree M1 |J4-5 M1 |J14 M1 |J40-41 M2 |J5 M2 |J5-6 M3 |j5-6 M4 |J12-11 M4 |J16-18 M5 |J9-11 M5 |J24-25 M6 |J6-7 (Thornbridge Viaduct) M6 |J16-17 M6 |J29-31 M6 |J34-35 M11 |South of J7 M25 |J24 M27 |J2-3 M40 |J5-7 M62 |J37-Ouse Bridge
1989-90 |Section
---------------------------------------------------------------------
A1(M) |Sprotborough-Alverley
A1(M) |Warmsworth-Marr
A1(M |Aycliffe-Bradbury
|Interchange
M1 |J9
M1 |J12-13
M1 |J15-16
M1 |J25-R. Trent
M1 |J29-30
M1 |J34 (Tinsley Viaduct)
M1 |J37-38
M2 |Park Pale-Thong Lane
M2 |J4-5
M2 |J5 Slip Roads
M2 |J5-6 (2 Schemes)
M4 |J16-17
M5 |J1-M6 (stages 1 and 2)
M5 |J16-17
M5 |J20
M5 |J25-26
M6 |J16-17
M6 |J34-County Boundary
M6 |J41-42
M11 |North and South of J5
M11 |J12
M25 |J18-20
M27 |J8-10
M40 |J5-7
M42 |J4-5
M42 |J6-7
M53 |J1-4
M56 |J6-7
M61 |J1-3
M61 |J6-8
M61 |J8-M6
M62 |J7-9
M62 |J23-Scammonden
M62 |J34-35
M62/M18 |Langham Interchange
M180 |J1-M18 (J5)
M180 |West of R. Trent
M606 |Bradford
In addition a relatively small number of motorway non-major maintenance schemes will have been subject to mandatory speed restrictions for the same reason. These schemes would be of short duration, considerably less than one year.
There have also been the following recent motorway improvement schemes where mandatory speed restrictions were in force :
|Section
------------------------
Less than one year
M25 |J10-13
M42 |J3A
M56 |J3-5
M61 |J2-4
M62 |J12-19
M62 |J21-22
M63 |J8-10
M63 |J11-12
M67 |J1-2
M602 |J1-2
Less than one year to da
M1 |J23A
M20 |J8
M40 |J7
One to three years
M5 |J4-4A
M5 |J4A-5
M5 |J5-6
M20 |J11-12
M42 |J1-M5
M63 |J3-5
There have not been any such restrictions lasting more than three years.
There are permanent speed restrictions on the following sections of motorway :
|Section
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
M1 |J43-47 (50 mph)
M4
(London) |Elevated Section (50 mph)
M4<1> |Severn Bridge (40 mph)
M6/M62 |Croft Interchange (40 mph)
M621 |J1-3 (50 mph)
<1>Mandatory speed limit imposed in 1986 during bridge strengthening
and resurfacing work. This will remain in force until about the end of
this year.
Speed Limits
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to extend mandatory speed limits where roadworking is in operation to those roads for which local authorities are the highways authority.
Mr. Atkins : Local highway authorities already have the power to introduce mandatory speed limits at roadworks where they consider it appropriate.
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures, other than mandatory speed limits, are in force to ensure the safety of roadworkers and motorists where road repairs and maintenance are being carried out.
Mr. Atkins : In addition to any speed limit, measures to ensure safety at roadworks, both for road users and workers, comprise provision of proper signing and traffic management together with maintenance of an appropriate safety zone between moving traffic and the works. Advice on the signing of roadworks is given in chapter 8 of the traffic signs manual. A report prepared jointly by the Department of Transport, the County Surveyors Society and the Health and Safety Executive provides guidance for ensuring the safety of personnel undertaking works.
Substandard Shipping
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the number of defective merchant vessels that have been detained at British ports for each of the last five years.
Mr. McLoughlin : The number of merchant ships which have been detained in United Kingdom ports as a result of defects indentified by Department of Transport marine surveyors in the course of general or port state control inspections in each of the last five years is as follows :
|Number
----------------------
1985 |33
1986 |33
1987 |26
1988 |48
1989 |47
<1>1990 |23
<1>January-March
Compulsory Head-guards
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to make it compulsory for cyclists to wear protective head -guards.
Mr. Atkins : If everbody wore cycle helmets, a great many injuries and deaths would be prevented, particularly among children. While I have no present plans for making it compulsory, I urge cyclists to wear them, and parents to encourage their children to do so.
Column 1037
Maritime Safety
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what current statutory regulations exist concerning the seaworthiness of vessels and the number of shipmen relative to size that should be sailing a ship.
Mr. McLoughlin : Statutory regulations issued under the various Merchant Shipping Acts are promulgated by way of a merchant shipping notice. There are many such regulations in force covering, inter alia, crew matters, dangerous goods, fire, life-saving, marine pollution, navigation, ship construction and equipment, and health and safety. Each year the list is revised, and I have placed a copy of the latest notice in the Library. (Merchant Shipping Notice No. M.1407, Principal Acts and Regulations on Merchant Shipping, published by the Department of Transport in February 1990.)
Apart from the statutory requirements for certificated officers, the minimum safe complement of other seafarers depends on other factors as well as size--the ship's equipment, trading areas and the nature of cargo all have to be taken into account when assessing a safer manning level. Passenger ships must have an adequate crew to muster and assist the passengers in an emergency.
Private Security Firms
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what weapons private security firms are empowered to employ in dockyards and ports.
Mr. McLoughlin : Private security firms are not empowered to carry firearms in dockyards and ports unless they have a firearms certificate from the chief officer of police under section 1 of the Firearms Act 1968.
Southend (Official Visit)
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make an official visit to Southend-on-Sea by train.
Mr. Portillo : My right hon. Friend or I will be happy to do so when a suitable opportunity arises.
THE ARTS
British Library
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Minister for the Arts what progress has been made on the British Library ; when he expects work on it to be completed and at what cost ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Luce : Construction on the first phase of the building is proceeding within its budget of £300 million and a schedule which will enable the British Library to start moving books into St. Pancras by mid- 1991. The first phase is planned to be fully operational by mid-1993.
The completion phase upon which I will shortly be making a separate announcement is scheduled to be opened to the public in 1996.
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