§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) to which firm his Department awarded the royal parks consultancy; what progress has been made; and if he will make a statement;
(2) how much his Department is spending on the royal parks consultancy; what is the purpose of the consultancy study; when the report will be presented to his Department.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneInbucon Management Consultants Ltd., in association with Land Use Consultants, has been asked to advise my Department on standards of maintenance in the royal parks; the resource implications of those standards and alternative options for getting the work done. At this stage, the conunission is limited to a feasibility study based on Regent's park. The report on the feasibility study is expected to be received in September. For reasons of commercial confidentially my right hon. Friend does not reveal information about the cost of consultancies.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will detail the staff employed in each of the royal parks by category in each of the past five years.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneThe industrial staff numbers in each park by category are given in the following table:
895W
896W897W
Park/Category Staff-in-post as at 1 April* 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 Central† Horticultural 144 116 95 87½ 95 Support 55 50½ 43 42½ 40½ Craft Grades 10 10 10 10 9 Supervisory 29 27 29 28 26 Apprentices 14 16 14 13 10 Sub-totals 252 219½ 191 181 180½ Regents Horticultural 64 55 43 36½ 43½ Support 27 24 21½ 22 18 Craft Grades 5 5 4 4 4 Supervisory 18 14 17 9 12 Apprentices 9 9 8 8 8 Sub-totals 123 107 93½ 79½ 85½ Greenwich Horticultural 38 36 29 30 34 Support 15 13 11 10 9 Craft Grades 2 2 2 1 1 Supervisory 5 5 7 6 6 Apprentices 11 9 9 8 5 Sub-totals 71 65 58 55 55 Hampton Court Horticultural 68 64 64 63 47 Support 15 14 10 8 12 Craft Grades 6 5 5 5 5 Supervisory 14 14 14 14 26 Apprentices 16 14 13 10 7 Sub-totals 119 111 106 100 97 Richmond Horticultural 33 30 25 15 15 Support 24 22 18 15 15 Craft Grades 5 5 5 4 4 Supervisory 6 6 7 10 9 Apprentices 0 0 0 0 0 Sub-totals 68 63 55 44 43 Osborne Gardens Horticultural 8 5 5 6 6 Support 2 2 2 2 2 Craft Grades 0 0 0 0 0 Supervisory 1 1 1 1 1 Apprentices 0 0 1 0 0 Sub-totals 11 8 9 9 9 Eltham Palace Horticultural 3 3 3 5 5 Support 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ Craft Grades 0 0 0 0 0 Supervisory 1 1 1 1 1 Apprentices 2 2 2 0 0 Sub-totals 7 6½ 6½ 6½ 6½
Park/Category Staff-in-post as at 1 April* 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 Totals 651 580 519 475 476½ * Part-time staff count as ½ † Central comprises St. James Park, Green Park, Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Brompton Cemetery Osterly. Ham and a number of squares and public gardens in the centre of London.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what services in which royal parks have been privatised since 1979.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneSince 1979 the following services have been privatised in the royal parks:
Park Year Offices/premises cleaning Hyde Park 1979 Offices/premises cleaning St. James's Park 1982 Operation of the Serpentine Lido Hyde Park 1983 Operation of Golf Courses Richmond Park 1984 Lavatory and Playground Attendants All parks 1985 Residual office/premises cleaning not already contracted out All parks 1985
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what pesticides and herbicides are used in the royal parks.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneThe following pesticides and herbicides are used in the royal parks:
Pesticides
- Secto-insect spray including ant, fly and green fly
- Novolin
- Malathion
- Resmethrin
- Lindane
- Murphume
- Bortulex
- Ring Master
- Cast Away
- Diazonin
- Perimor
- Carborgle
- Nimrod-T
- Hostiquyck
- Plictron
- Sycocel
- Filek
- Alcirex
- Maneb
- Dynocap
- Ambush Fog 2
- Actellifog
- Murphy
- Picket
- Lyndex
- Nicotine Liquid (greenhouse use)
- Systemic—Unsecticide
- Abol-Ex
- Temic (strict control)
- Nalid
- Mini-Slug Pellets
- Permethrin
Herbicides
- Gramoxone
- Moss Killer
- Casuron-G
- Verdone
- Round Up
- Spasor
- Supertox
- Dexuron
- Garlon
898 - Hydon
- Alegrex
- Weed-Ex
- Clarosan
- Dictatox-Extra
- Cloutk
- Bandweek
- Thostixin (strict control gamekeeper)
- Ron-Star Liquid
- Paraquat
- Clovitox
- Tritox
- Napropamide (banweed)
- Propachlor
- Simazine
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many apprentices have been employed in the royal parks in each of the past five years.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneThe number of apprentices employed in the Royal Parks on 1 April in each of the past five years is as follows:
Number 1981 52 1982 50 1983 47 1984 39 1985 30
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many handicapped workers are employed in each of the royal parks.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneFourteen handicapped workers are employed in the Royal Parks, four in central parks, four in Richmond park, four in Greenwich park and two at Hampton Court gardens.