HL Deb 17 October 2000 vol 617 cc873-5

2.48 p.m.

Lord Waddington asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will commission a study of the impact on the economy of St Helena of changes in the financing of public services on Ascension Island.

Baroness Amos

My Lords, proposals for changes in the financing of public services on Ascension Island have been the subject of a recent study by consultants from the University of Portsmouth. They visited St Helena and held extensive discussions on the economic and financial relationship between the two islands. Financing options are being considered in full consultation with the St Helena Government. This represents the best way forward. Consequently, there are no plans to commission any further studies on this issue.

Lord Waddington

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for her reply. Does not she agree that St Helena's frail economy would be bound to be affected adversely if a local authority with tax-raising powers was responsible for the provision of public services on Ascension? What would happen, for instance, to the revenue from licences for fishing in the waters round Ascension which at present go to St Helena? Although, obviously, there is a strong case for bringing democracy to Ascension, most people who work on Ascension are St Helenians, so would it not be far better for them to send representatives to the St Helena Legislative Council, rather than for Ascension to have its own representative institutions and to run the risk of the islands developing quite separately, to the disadvantage of both?

Baroness Amos

My Lords, the fiscal and economic survey that was carried out was done in full consultation with the St Helena Government. The report's main conclusion was that responsibility for the provision of common services should pass to a public authority and that revenue for the authority should be collected equitably from those using Ascension, through a system of taxes and charges. No decisions have yet been made about how to carry the report further. A number of options are being considered. The people on Ascension and those on St Helena are being fully consulted through this process. We should not want to do anything that would impact adversely on St Helena.

Baroness Rawlings

My Lords, St Helenian civil rights were granted by Charles II in 1673 by Royal Charter. At a time when Britishness and human rights seem to be high on the Labour agenda, why have the Government not granted the St Helenians British nationality? Why do they want to keep a minority of our people in a bureaucratic entanglement that denies those citizens their full rights?

Baroness Amos

My Lords, the principles on which the overseas territories Bill granting British citizenship has been agreed will mean that the people of St Helena will have citizenship rights. We have bid for parliamentary time; we have sought authority for preparing the Bill in advance from the Cabinet committee that controls the parliamentary timetable. We do not consider that any legislation to offer British citizenship to the citizens of overseas territories needs to provide a separately for St Helenians. The principles are exactly the same.

Lord Waddington

My Lords, surely the noble Baroness will agree that great concern has been expressed in St Helena at the fact that the report to which she has referred on a number of occasions paid scant attention to the implications of change in Ascension for the economy of St Helena. It is complete nonsense to say that the report canvassed in depth what the implications of that change would be. There was nothing of that nature in the report. Will the noble Baroness please think again, at least on that aspect of the matter?

Baroness Amos

My Lord, I cannot agree with the noble Lord. The survey was carried out in full consultation with the people and government of St Helena. We are currently examining the options that have arisen from the report. As the noble Lord said in his supplementary question, the majority of those who are resident on Ascension are closely linked to the people of St Helena. So what we do with Ascension and with St Helena has to take into consideration what is best for both Ascension and St Helena.

Baroness Hooper

My Lords, having said that there has been full consultation with the people of St Helena, will the noble Baroness give them the reassurance that the Government will closely monitor all that is happening as a consequence of the new arrangement with Ascension Island and take any necessary action?

Baroness Amos

My Lords, I can give the noble Baroness that assurance. I can do so because, as I said in my Answer, we are considering a number of options; those options will be fully consulted on before any decision is made.