§ Dr. MarekTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the quality of the shipping communications to and from St. Helena.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe issue of shipping communications links with St. Helena is a matter which is regularly under review with the St. Helena Government. Transport communications are clearly very limited, but there has been difficulty in identifying a cost-efficient means of strengthening it.
§ Dr. MarekTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth affairs if he will make a statement on progress in the acquisition of a shuttle ship for St. Helena.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydMy right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for Overseas Development has decided that the search for a shuttle ship between St. Helena and Ascension Island should be discontinued for the time being. This decision, which was reached with great reluctance, followed an exhaustive four-year search, conducted with the assistance of specialist maritime consultants, which failed to identify a suitable vessel available at a cost that was not disproportionately expensive.
§ Dr. MarekTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the wind electricity generation project for St. Helena.
268W
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 24 February, at column397.
We have asked the project consultants to carry out a survey of the world market for smaller-rated wind turbine generators and to report on their suitability for installation in St. Helena.