St Helena (Hansard, 10 June 2004)

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, depopulation featured prominently in recent talks between the St Helena Government and a Department for International Development/Foreign and Commonwealth Office team visiting the island. Her Majesty's Government are working with St Helena on ways to address this important issue. They include a fiscal review to identify ways of stimulating growth and inward investment and further work to provide private sector development; an analysis of the terms on which some key public sector service appointments are offered; a review of the system of ministerial government; an assessment of access arrangements for the island; and a review of immigration and land purchase laws.

§ Lord Beaumont of Whitley
My Lords, while I thank the Minister for that helpful reply and for her helpful letter to me recently on this subject, is not encouraging immigration one of the ways of combating such an enormous amount of emigration? When there is an island community, no matter how worthy in itself—and worthily called "Saint"—would it not be a good idea to inject some entrepreneurship from outside? Would the Government consider reversing the decision that they made when the dependency was granted independence and give the islanders reciprocal citizenship rights with Britain?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, I remember being the Minister with responsibility for the overseas territories when we were discussing their rights in relation to citizenship. One of the issues that was put forward again and again was the concern of the overseas territories that there should not be reciprocity of immigration into those territories. Their fear was that, although they wanted to have rights of abode in this country, granting reciprocal rights of abode would simply mean that many overseas territories would be flooded with immigrants from this country. There is a real problem about saying, "Well that's what we said then, but we feel differently now".
It is important to note that the drop in the population has been from about 5,500 to approximately 4,000. Most of the emigration has been by offshore workers who are still remitting relatively large sums of money back to St Helena, with the intention of returning there in due course. Many of them are putting money back into St Helena, building houses and building up businesses for the future. Of course there is an issue and that is why those five areas 377 of analysis, review and consideration of what can be done have been undertaken by Her Majesty's Government.

§ Lord Waddington
My Lords, has the noble Baroness not been made aware that the Government have turned down all four proposals for air access put forward in response to the Government's 2003 invitation? How on earth can population decline be arrested unless there is air access to the island?
Is the noble Baroness aware that one of the applications was turned down on the basis that the runway proposed was too short? Is she also aware that, if the runway was longer, that could affect the viability of associated developments and that the CAA has said that the runway is long enough? Why on earth, when the 2003 invitation document referred to the development of air access being part-funded by associated developments, are the Government now saving that they have turned their back entirely on such developments?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, of course I am aware that the four proposals were turned down. I am also aware that the Government's reason for turning them down was that none of the proposals put forward by the four respondents was satisfactory.
However, that is not the end of the story. The Government made the position very clear in their parliamentary Written Statement of 19 April. A new feasibility study has been commissioned and the results should be available to your Lordships by November this year. The study will look at various options, such as the procurement options and likely tourist demand, and will investigate the environmental and social impact of future access arrangements. Therefore, the fact that the first four proposals simply were not suitable does not mean that the Government have turned their back on the question of air access. It is being considered and a report will be issued later this year.

§ Lord Howell of Guildford
My Lords, further to the point raised by my noble friend Lord Waddington about air access, are the Government prepared to make a funding contribution to any of the schemes when they are agreed? Since we and this brave island helped to save the rest of Europe from Bonaparte, would there not be a reasonable case for asking the rest of the EU to stump up as well?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, that is a terrifically ingenious idea. I like it, but I am bound to say that I do not think that it will be successful. None the less, it would be a good one for us to toy with.
Investigations to date have centred on the potential for the development of air access to St Helena at a capital cost not exceeding £26.3 million. Had it proved possible to reach agreement with a private sector partner to achieve that without unacceptable risks to St Helena, we would have been able to accept one of the proposals already put forward. I believe that we must let this work go ahead. It is not only a question 378 of air access; my colleagues are also considering the question of sea access to the island. Your Lordships will know that many questions have been raised about that as well. I think that we have to consider the questions of access in the round—that is, how do people and cargo get in—and I hope that the results of the study will be available for your Lordships to consider in November.

§ Lord Avebury
My Lords—

§ The Lord Bishop of Newcastle
My Lords—

§ Lord Grocott
My Lords, we are into the 17th minute and my noble friend is to answer the next Question as well. I think that she is working overtime and that we should move on.