§ Sir Bernard Braineasked the Lord Privy Seal when he received a Royal Engineers' report recommending the construction of a diesel oil tank on St. Helena which could cut cost to the island's consumers by a substantial amount; and what action has since been taken.
§ Mr. LuceThe Royal Engineers' final report is still awaited. Overseas Development Administration advisers have, however, seen a preliminary draft which raises a number of technical issues relating to the transportation of fuel oil which are being pursued. Any scheme for bulk fuel storage on St. Helena would have to be considered in the context of the current review of the shipping services to the island. The recent shipping, consultants' report commissioned by the Overseas Development Administration cast some doubt on whether bulk fuel storage would be viable, and the matter is still under consideration.
§ Sir Bernard Braineasked the Lord Privy Seal what steps have been taken by Her Majesty's Government in recent months to overcome the economic problems of St. Helena, particularly in the fields of local employment, resource development, fuel supplies, sea communications and emigration.
§ Mr. LuceA review of the recommendations for small cottage industries following the intermediate technology development group's two-year consultancy is expected shortly. The group was commissioned to look at ways in which local employment prospects could be improved coupled with a reduction in certain imports.
The main areas of resource development have been in agriculture and fisheries. On agriculture I have nothing to add to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Essex, South-East (Sir B. Braine) on 1 August 1980—[Vol. 989, c. 853.]—which detailed the investigations and developments in that area over the last 10 years. As for fisheries, the St. Helena Fisheries Corporation recently sought assistance to enable it to expand its activities; its proposals are being studied by Overseas Development Administration advisers.