§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many persons from the overseas service aid scheme and the technical education and training organisation for overseas countries, respectively, recruited and sponsored by his Department are now in post in the Falkland Islands; how many are engaged in each broad area of activity; and what is the approximate cost for each activity area, with respective totals, to the United Kingdom and Falkland Islands Governments, respectively.
§ Mr. RaisonThere are no staff in the islands under the auspices of the technical education and training organisation for overseas countries, which is part of the British Council.
In respect of OSAS, 49 staff are at present under contract for service in the Islands. A few of these will reach the Islands early in March. The rest are in post. They are engaged by the Falkland Islands Government on local salaries, ranging from £3,340 to £7,680, and ODA pays supplements ranging from£3,150 to £12,870. ODA also meets passage costs and certain other expenses. The categories of work are: education—20; public works—13; health—7; government administration etc—6; air service—2; police—1.
There are also 14 officers presently serving under technical co-operation contracts, with ODA salaries and allowances in the range £7,000 to £22,250. Eight are professional staff with the grasslands trials unit; three are police officers, and three are specialist public works staff.
In addition, the director of public works is a technical co-operation appointment financed by ODA. The present incumbent is engaged through a consultancy contract with his United Kingdom employers.
§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will tabulate visits paid by Overseas Development Administration officials to the Falkland Islands since 14 June 1982 to show the status of each official, the purpose of each visit, and any action resulting therefrom.
§ Mr. RaisonThe visits and their main purposes were as follows
Engineering Adviser, September 15–23, 1982—To review with the Falkland Islands Government rehabilitation requirements in civil engineering sector, with special reference to prefabricated housing and port operations.Principal, Falkland Islands Department (with FCO official), November 8–17, 1982—To monitor progress on rehabilitation, and to expedite submission of outstanding requests.242WHead, Falkland Islands Department (with FCO official), December 9–20, 1982—Familiarisation; to monitor progress on rehabilitation; discussions on implementation of development programme following Secretary of State's statement of 8 December.Engineering Adviser, January 25-February 9, 1983—To review progress, especially on housing, and expedite outstanding claims. To discuss work programme for roads team then being mobilised in United Kingdom.Agricultural Adviser, From February 16, 1983—In consultation with Falkland Islands Government, to review future work programme of grasslands trials unit; and to make recommendations on expanded staffing and facilities; to consider progress of existing land subdivision experiments, and to discuss prospects for further subdivisions; to discuss arrangements for agricultural advice in the Islands with particular reference to proposals for a system of grants and subsidies.Each visit contributed to action on the 250 contracts so far let under the rehabilitation programme; on the selection of staff and approval of posts under the overseas service aid scheme and other technical co-operation arrangements; and on the preparation of economic development proposals arising from the Falkland Islands economic survey 1982.
§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what disbursements have so far been made, or allocated, respectively, from the £31 million rehabilitation and reconstruction fund for the Falkland Islands; and, for each project, what studies or investigations need to be completed prior to their commencement.
§ Mr. RaisonSubject to parliamentary approval, Ministers have allocated £15 million of grant aid for civil rehabilitation in the Falkland Islands.
The following requirements are being met under the rehabilitation programme:
Supply and erection of 54 furnished prefabricated houses, and an accommodation block for the work force which will later be used for other purposes.Connection of local services, and provision of roads and foundations for the houses.Supply of 10 mobile homes.Supply of replacement aircraft for Falkland Islands Government air service (two Britten-Norman Islanders and one secondhand Beaver float plane).Replacement of fuel stocks.Supply of building materials and furnishings for damaged housing.Supply of tools, plant and equipment for public works department, including equipment and spares for power and water systems.Supply of replacement furnishings for town hall.Rent and refurbishment of temporary boarding hostel for secondary school pupils, including supply of a further 10 mobile homes.Supply of laboratory equipment, chemicals and fertilisers for grasslands trials units.Replacement of destroyed/damaged items from Government Department inventories.Arrangements for a fully equipped contractor's team to repair the worst damaged sections of road in Port Stanley and on the airport route.The Falkland Islands Government are expected to submit additional requests in respect of repairs to water, power and sewage systems, the telephone system, and aircraft hangars and associated facilities.
The costs for all the above requirements are expected to absorb the full £15 million. A total of £6.25 million has been disbursed to date.
As my right hon. Friend informed the House on 8 December, £31 million has been allocated for economic 243W development in the islands over the next five to six years. The money will be used to pursue both proposals made in the Falkland Islands economic survey 1982 and other requirements for improvements to infrastructure. The civil commissioner told the island's legislative council on 16 December that earmarkings included £7 million for agriculture research and support; £7 million for a new deep-water jetty; £7.5 million for road improvements; and smaller sums for other requirements. Studies will be undertaken in the next three months in relation to harbour facilities, including the jetty proposal; water requirements to the year 2000 in Port Stanley; and power requirements on the same basis. Consultants have just completed field work on the feasibility of a salmon-ranching pilot project. Decisions on road building priorities are inevitably linked with site investigation for a new airfield.
§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what requests have been made by the Falkland Islands Government concerning the replacement of plant, equipment or stores related to public works, including the repair or reconstruction of roads lost or destroyed as a result of hostilities; when such requests were received; what response has been made; and what items remain to be dispatched from the United Kingdom or received in the Falklands.
§ Mr. RaisonSome 250 contracts for materials and equipment have been let through the Crown Agents on instructions from ODA to meet rehabilitation requests submitted by the Falkland Islands Government. The majority of these are in respect of materials and equipment required by the public works department, both to replace losses and to augment its capacity for rehabilitation work.
The first requests were received in July and there has been a regular flow since then. Detailed requests are still awaited for several requirements.
A road works unit, self-contained in respect of manpower, materials, equipment, accommodation and catering facilities, sailed for Port Stanley last week. That shipment incorporates major items requested last year for road repair and reconstruction. A detailed request in respect of such work was received in London on 10 January. It related primarily to damage arising from heavy post-war use of roads. The present shipment has capacity to meet part of this request, and consultations are in progress as a matter of urgency on ways of augmenting that capacity.
§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what particular projects have been selected in respect of any sums contributed by other states to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Falkland Islands; and what consultations have taken place with the Governments of such states and the executive or legislative councils of the Falkland Islands concerning the use of any such contributions.
§ Mr. RaisonThe Civil Commissioner has made some suggestions to the states of Jersey about projects for which the £4.75 million might be allocated.