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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 28 October 1996
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
Aid Projects
Mr. Colvin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are taken by the Overseas Development Administration to ensure that all aid projects are assessed for their environmental sustainability. [739]
Dr. Liam Fox: All projects are subject to environmental assessment according to the guidelines and procedures set out in the manual of environmental appraisal. ODA has recently revised and updated the manual. It is accompanied by guidance on the major international environmental agreements and their implications for both aid donors and recipients. Copies of both documents have been placed in the Library of the House.
UN World Hunger Conference
Mr. Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals Her Majesty's Government intend to place before the UN world hunger conference to be held in Rome in November; and if he will make a statement. [483]
Dr. Liam Fox: The Government's principal objective for the world food summit is to work for international consensus on the future action needed to reduce hunger and malnutrition in the world. To help achieve this objective, we propose to present to the summit a paper on policy towards food security. In preparing this paper, we have consulted extensively among interested groups in the United Kingdom.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Mahmood Hussein Mattam
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received relating to the conviction for murder and subsequent hanging in Cardiff in 1952 of Mahmood Hussein Mattam; and if he will now refer the matter to the Court of Appeal. [777]
Mr. Kirkhope: On 10 October 1996, solicitors acting on behalf of Mr. Mattam's family submitted a substantial dossier in this case. My right hon. and learned Friend will decide as soon as possible whether any action on his part would be appropriate.
Police Equipment
Mr. Bennett:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the items of new equipment authorised by his Department for use by
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(a) the Metropolitan police and (b) other police forces in England and Wales in the last two years; how much training is required by his Department (i) initially and (ii) annually for each piece of equipment; and what assessment he has made of the impact of the introduction of each piece of equipment on the time available to police officers on active duty. [75]
Mr. Maclean:
My right hon. and learned Friend gave his consent to the following in the Metropolitan police district, in accordance with the Metropolitan Police Town Clauses Act 1829:
(i) on 23 November 1994, 24 in and 26 in straight batons;
(ii) on 28 June 1995, expandable three-piece friction lock batons.
In addition, between 1 March and 31 August 1996, Metropolitan police officers participated in operational trials of CS aerosol sprays with my right hon. and learned Friend's consent. His consent is not required to the introduction of police equipment in other forces.
Training in the use of equipment is a matter for individual chief officers. An assessment was made of the effect of the introduction of expandable side-handled batons on working days lost by injury to police officers. No conclusions could be drawn because it coincided with a period in which there was a large fall in the number of officers on long-term sick leave.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total cost to his Department of the custody of Omanga Mangwete in the UK prior to his removal to Canada. [165]
Mr. Kirkhope:
The cost of detaining Mr. Mangwete in the United Kingdom prior to his removal was £21,521.17.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of asylum seekers whose application has been rejected but remain in Britain awaiting appeal. [669]
Mr. Kirkhope:
As at 30 September 1996, an estimated 20,100 refused asylum seekers, excluding dependants, were pursuing appeals.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total cost of the custody of Micrea Ilin prior to his release from prison; and what was the cost to his Department of their actions on his case. [164]
Mr. Kirkhope:
The cost of detaining Mr. Ilin was about £6,630. The cost to the Home Department of our actions in this case could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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Mr. Spellar:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in increasing the use of recycled material in the construction industry. [202]
Mr. Clappison:
There is increasing interest in the use of recycled materials for construction in order to conserve primary aggregates. This has been further encouraged by the introduction of the landfill tax. Reliable data on the extent of usage of recycled materials are not presently available.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the administrative cost of implementation of the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993 by English local authorities. [668]
Sir Paul Beresford:
Information about such costs is not available centrally, but I would expect any administrative costs to local authorities of implementing the housing provisions of the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993 to have been offset by savings arising from the changes, introduced by the Act, to the duties owed by authorities to asylum seekers under the homelessness legislation.
Mr. Byers:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will call in for determination planning application NT/0925/96 DM made to North Tyneside council for residential development at the Northern Electric sportsground, Wallsend. [782]
Sir Paul Beresford:
If it is minded to approve this planning application, North Tyneside council will refer it to the Secretary of State for the Environment as a departure from the development plan, and he will then consider whether to call it in. I have asked the Government office for the north-east to write and let the hon. Member know his decision.
Mr. Bennett:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the inspectors' report into Stockport UDP to be published. [73]
Sir Paul Beresford:
The inspectors' report on objections to the Stockport unitary development plan is expected to be delivered to the council at the end of December this year. It will then be for the council to decide when to publish the report. I have asked the Planning Inspectorate's chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from J. Greenfield to Mr. Andrew F. Bennett, dated 25 October 1996:
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Mr. Bennett:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects a decision to be taken into the appeal by Gladmen Homes to build a nursing home on land at Lisgard lane, Stockport. [74]
Sir Paul Beresford:
The provision of information on planning appeals is the responsibility of the Planning Inspectorate. In the absence of the inspectorate's chief executive, Mr. Chris Shepley, I have asked the deputy chief executive, Mr. James Greenfield, to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from J. Greenfield to Mr. Andrew F. Bennett, dated 25 October 1996:
Mr. Byers:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to place a duty on local authorities to adopt footpaths. [783]
Mr. Clappison:
We have no plans to do so.
Mr. Wareing:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to make a decision on proposals to expand Liverpool airport; and if he will make a statement. [493]
Sir Paul Beresford:
A decision will be taken as soon as possible on the planning applications made by Liverpool Airport plc for the phased development of Liverpool airport. These were called in for the Secretary of State's determination in June 1994 and a public local inquiry was held from 4 April 1995 to 30 June 1995. The report of the inquiry inspector, which was submitted on 25 July 1996, is being considered.
The Secretary of State for the Environment has asked me to reply to your question about the Inspector's report from the public inquiry into the Stockport Unitary Development Plan.
The report is expected to be issued to the Council at the end of December. It will then be for the Council to decide when to publish it.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking when a decision is expected on the planning appeal by Gladman Homes for the erection of a nursing home on land at Donelons Yard, Lingard Lane, Bredbury.
The appeal has now been decided, and I enclose a copy of the inspector's decision letter.
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