§ Sir John Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the cost to the United Kingdom of the Commission of Irish Lights and its activities; and what proportion of the commission's cost and work appertains to those lights which lie within the United Kingdom and its territorial waters.
§ Mr. David MitchellIn 1983–84 the expenditure of the Commissioners of Irish Lights should be about £10.3 million. The commissioners' accounts do not distinguish between expenditure incurred in the Republic of Ireland and that incurred in Northern Ireland, but experience suggests 75 per cent. of the total could be attributed to the Republic.
The commissioners' expenditure is met from the general lighthouse fund, which is derived from light dues paid by shipping using ports in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. There are no contributions to the fund from the British or the Irish Exchequers. Dues collected in the Republic in 1983–84 should be about £1 million. So the difference between the commissioners' expenditure in the Republic and the dues collected there in 1983–84 will probably exceed £6½ million.
The existence of this discrepancy between dues and costs in the Republic, which is of long standing, and other related matters, were the subject of a report from the Public Accounts Committee in July 1982 (HC 438). The Committee noted that negotiations had been opened earlier that year with the Irish Government with the objective of securing a more satisfactory statutory and financial relationship with the commissioners. These negotiations are continuing and I will make a further statement on them in due course.
§ Sir John Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Transport how many of the personnel serving under the Commissioners of Irish Lights are from the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic, respectively; and how many are from elsewhere.
§ Mr. David MitchellThis is a matter for the commissioners, but I understand that, with the exception of one Norwegian national, all their employees are from 367W either the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, although information on the numbers in each category is not readily available.
§ Sir John Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Transport who are now the Commissioners of Irish Lights.
§ Mr. David MitchellI have no responsibility for the appointment of the commissioners, but I understand that they include, in order of seniority:
- Sir Walter Edmenson, CBE
- The Right Hon. The Earl of Meath
- Mr. J. P. Jameson
- Mr. L. D. G. Colin
- Mr. R. R. Stewart
- Lt. Commander Sir William Blunden, Bt. RN (retired)
- Mr. J. H. Guinness (Chairman)
- Mr. Richie Ryan, MEP
- Mr. P. H. Greer
- Captain A. C. Tupper, DSC, RN (retired)
- Mr. M. A. O'Neill
- Alderman H. P. Coveney, TD
- Mr. T. Sheppard
- Mr. M. W. S. Maclaran
- Mr. J. Gore-Grimes
- Alderman M. Keating, TD
- Commodore L. S. Maloney
- Councillor Dr. H. B. Byrne
- Mr. W. A. Cooke, OBE
- Councillor P. J. Dunne
I understand that there is at present one unfilled vacancy.