House of Commons Hansard Debates for 10 Jul 1991

Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 10 July 1991

TRANSPORT

Transport Security

Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the 1990-91 annual report of the Chief Inspector of Transport Security.

Mr. Rifkind : I am today placing copies of this report in the Library of the House.

Shipping Accidents

Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what systematic assessment is made of human error in casualty investigations for shipping accidents.

Mr. McLoughlin [holding answer 9 July 1991] : Inspectors carrying out investigations into marine accidents are fully alive to the human factor in all its forms. Their inquiries, therefore, as a matter of course, include examination into the possibility of error and, where it is found, an assessment both of its cause and its effect.

Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, further to his answer of 2 July, how many accidents listed have been attributed to human error for each year 1981 to 1990 involving United Kingdom registered vessels, and 1989 to 1990 involving United Kingdom ferries.

Mr. McLoughlin [holding answer 9 July 1991] : The majority of accidents have several contributory factors and cannot be attributed to one specific individual cause. A list such as that asked for therefore cannot be provided. However, human error is considered to be at least one factor in some 80 per cent. of accidents ; this applies to vessels of all types including ferries.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Serious Fraud Office

Mr. Carrington : To ask the Attorney-General when he expects to lay before Parliament and to publish the annual report of the Serious Fraud Office for the year 1990-91.

The Attorney-General : The report has today been laid before Parliament. I have caused a copy of the report to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Treaties

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonweath Affairs if he will list those treaties that have been signed by Her Majesty's Government but have not yet been ratified, giving for each treaty the date of signing.

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Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonweath Affairs if he will make a statement on the process by which treaties are ratified by Her Majesty's Government.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Before ratifying a treaty Her Majesty's Government must ensure that they have the necessary statutory powers to enable them to give effect to its provisions and, if not, that the necessary enabling legislation is made. The text of the treaty is then laid before Parliament for a minimum of 21 parliamentary sitting days before it is ratified in order to give Parliament the opportunity to debate its provisions.

CFE Treaty

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonweath Affairs when he expects Her Majesty's Government to ratify the conventional forces in Europe treaty.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We expect to do so this autumn.

Antarctica

Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonweath Affairs (1) whether his Department has evaluated what effect withdrawing a regular Royal Navy presence in Antarctica could have on the United Kingdom's current and future association with that area ;

(2) what assessment has been made of the impact of the withdrawal of HMS Endurance on the study and understanding of the Antarctic continent and protection of United Kingdom interests in that region.

Mr. Garel-Jones : HMS Endurance carries out hydrographic surveys and provides support for the British Antarctic Survey's science programme. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence is aware of the role of HMS Endurance in supporting Her Majesty's Government's commitment to British interests in the area.

Romania

Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations were last made to the Romanian authorities about anti-semitism.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We take every suitable opportunity to press the Romanian Government to ensure that the rights of all members of the Jewish and other minority communities in Romania are fully respected. We have asked Her Majesty's ambassador in Bucharest to monitor closely certain recent expressions of anti-semitism in Romania.

Mr. Peter Nadin

Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to his correspondence with the hon. Member for Islington, North, if he will ask the British embassy in Athens to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the hon. Member's constituent Peter Nadin while in police

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custody ; and if he will meet the hon. Member for Islington, North to receive representations on behalf of the deceased's mother.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : British consular officers have no investigatory ro le. Mr. Nadin's death was investigated by the Greek authorities in 1984. They concluded that he committed suicide. The Greek authorities reviewed the case in 1985 at our request. They reached the same conclusion. In the absence of new evidence we have no grounds to ask them to reopen the case.

In the circumstances, there is little to be gained from a meeting about this sad case.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

INWARD

Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what proportion of moneys allocated to INWARD for industrial promotion in the north-west of England is allocated for the promotion of Cumbria ;

(2) if he will state on what county justification basis moneys are allocated to INWARD for the industrial promotion of the north-west of England.

Mr. Leigh : For the current financial year, 1991-92, INWARD received from the Department of Trade and Industry grant-in-aid of £900,000. This grant is allocated to INWARD on the basis of an agreed business plan for the promotion of overseas inward investment into the north-west. However, within the broad thrust of promotion of the region it is for INWARD to decide the most appropriate allocations of emphasis, including that to individual counties such as Cumbria, to meet its business objectives.

The principal objective is to provide information on all parts of the region in response to investors inquiries. Many of these are relayed to INWARD from the Invest In Britain Bureau as a result of the latter's promotional activities on behalf of the UK. Another objective is to service such investors, on behalf of IBB, when visiting the region. These activities are funded 100 per cent. The DTI through IBB, also funds 50 per cent. of INWARD's own promotional activity overseas, and it is free to attract additional funding from local sources to supplement this activity or for other regional activities in which the Department has no direct involvement.

Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will monitor the use of moneys paid to INWARD for industrial promotion in the north-west to ensure that each county that is a member of INWARD receives its fair share of industrial inquiries.

Mr. Leigh : The Department of Trade and Industry closely monitors the activities of all the regional development organisations, including INWARD, to ensure that the grant is spent to the best effect. An important function of an RDO is to provide a "one-stop shop" where all the potential sites in the region can be accessed by an investor. In responding to inquiries from industry the prime concern of RDOs must be to supply what industry needs, which will include fulfilling locational requirements as closely as possible. Although I have no doubts that all RDOs make every effort to ensure that all

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local authority members have a chance to respond to suitable inquiries, relations with members are principally a matter for the respective RDO board.

Sound Diffusion Ltd.

Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action his Department has taken following his inspectors' reports on Sound Diffusion Ltd.

Mr. Redwood : Following the receipt of the inspectors' report, consideration is being given to the possibility of application to the court under section 8 of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986. A copy of the report has also been provided to the Institute of Chartered Accountants for it to consider the conduct of its members.

Investment Brokers Act 1977

Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has any plans to review the scope and contents of the Investment Brokers Act 1977.

Mr. Redwood : I assume that the hon. Member is asking about the Insurance Brokers Registration Act 1977. I have no plans to review it.

Ernst and Young

Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions since 1988 his Department's inspectors have criticised the performance of Ernst and Young and its predecessors.

Mr. Redwood : Three reports of Companies Act inspectors published since 1 January 1989 contain criticisms of the firms which now form Ernst and Young :