House of Commons Hansard Debates for 5 Dec 1991

Written Answers to Questions

Thursday 5 December 1991

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Tottenham Three

Mr. Corbyn To ask the Attorney-General if he will state the cost to the Law Officers of prosecution and subsequent appeals of Winston Silcott, Mark Braithwaite and Engin Raghip.

The Attorney-General : The prosecuting authorities have incurred costs in connection with this case from the institution of proceedings in 1985. For that reason, information concerning the total costs of the prosecution is not readily available and will take some time to collate. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as the information is to hand.

ENVIRONMENT

Government Offices (Refurbishment)

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what work of restoration and refurbishment is being done for Government offices in London ; and if he will specify the sites and current proposed purposes.

Mr. Yeo : The property holdings directorate of the Department of the Environment is responsible for expenditure in central London on restoration and refurbishment currently being carried out in the following Government offices housed in listed buildings :-- 1. Government offices Great George street SW1

Refurbishment of a section of the basement offices to permit more efficient use.

2. Government offices Great George street SW1

Refurbishment of a second section of the basement to bring into use vacant space to permit the surrender of leased property.

3. Old Admiralty building SW1

Programme of major internal and external works to restore a grade 1 listed building.

4. Somerset house WC2

Renewal of east wing roof to maintain the integrity of a grade 1 listed building.

5. 70-72 Whitehall SW1

External stone cleaning and redecoration to restore the exerior of a grade 1 listed building.

Expenditure on other projects involving restoration or refurbishment is the responsibility of the Department which occupies, or intends to occupy, the listed building.

English Heritage

Mr. Jopling : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek an early meeting with the chairman of English Heritage to discuss the reasons it decided to replace the roof of 6-7 Grosvenor place with material imported from the United States rather than traditional Lakeland slate which is already in use.

Mr. Yeo : It would not be appropriate for my right hon. Friend to discuss this case with English Heritage given the

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possibility of a subsequent appeal against refusal of listed building consent. The Government's general policy is that alterations to listed buildings should be in character with the building, and that care should be taken to use appropriate materials, but choice of materials is a matter for the owners of a building, having regard to expert advice and to the terms of any listed building consent. I understand that no decision has yet been made in this case.

Developments (EC Directive)

Mr. Benton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action is being taken by Her Majesty's Government to implement EC directive 85/337 in situations where developments which do not require planning permission bring serious problems of dust, noise and traffic.

Mr. Yeo : I will write to the hon. Member shortly.

Red Squirrels

Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology to publish the atlas of red squirrel distribution in the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Baldry : I understand that the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology expects to publish its mammal atlas in late spring or early summer next year.

Disabled Staff

Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many disabled people are currently employed in his Department ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Heseltine : The Department employs 73 staff who are known to be registered disabled and a further 58 who are known to have a disability without being registered. This is some 2 per cent. of the total non- industrial work force.

Broadmead Estate, Redbridge

Mr. Arbuthnot : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is in a position to announce the result of Redbridge borough council's application for estate action support for the Broadmead estate.

Mr. Yeo : I am please to announce that I have today appproved this estate action scheme.

Wild Birds

Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will raise the subject of the trade in caught wild birds at the EC Environment Council on 9 December ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Baldry : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the Member for Wakefield (Mr. Hinchliffe) on 1 November 1991, Official Report, column 391. The EC Environment Council meeting has now been deferred until 12 and 13 December.

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Hanover Square, Bradford

Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what public financial assistance has been made available to date, for the restoration of Hanover square in Bradford ; to whom assistance has been paid ; and what assistance remains outstanding.

Mr. Yeo : In each of the three financial years 1983-84 to 1985-86 £28,000 was provided from Urban Programme funds for management of the project. In 1988-89 the Department provided the city of Bradford metropolitan council through the urban programme with a contribution of £9,000 towards the purchase and conversion of two of the Hanover Square properties for non-housing purposes. In 1989-90, £80,000, was provided towards the costs of a feasibility study for phase 1 of the restoration scheme ; in 1990-91 a further £70,000 was provided for phase 2. In 1991-92 £120,000 was provided for environmental improvements to the square itself. English Heritage has provided grants of £365,000, including £2,000 for a feasibility study, to the British Historic Buildings Trust and £51,000 to various developers and private individuals. No grant offers remain to be paid.

Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much public financial assistance has been paid, in each of the last three years, to the British Historic Buildings Trust ; and how much public financial assistance has been paid to the trust, to the latest available date, related to the restoration of Hanover square in Bradford.

Mr. Yeo : Total English Heritage Grants paid to the British Historic Buildings Trust over the past three financial years are :