§ Dr. Marekasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will have available the results of the recent fishery survey at St. Helena; and if he will place a copy (a) in the Library and (b) in the library on St. Helena.
§ Mr. Chris PattenThe full results are not expected until 1988. They may include commercially valuable information, and we shall have to consider with the St. Helena Government the extent to which it can be made publicly available.
§ Dr. Marekasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide technical books on fisheries related topics for the library on St. Helena.
§ Mr. Chris PattenI shall be willing to consider any St. Helena Government request for such books under the ODA's books presentation scheme.
§ Dr. Marekasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide a dinghy for assisting the ferry service between St. Helena and Ascension Island; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Chris PattenNo.
§ Dr. Marekasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if there is any hall or public building on St. Helena that can be used for public meetings attended by more than 400 people; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Chris PattenThe Paramount cinema in Jamestown is capable of seating over 400 people, but requires considerable structural and other renovation. The new Prince Andrew school, which is currently under construction and should be completed by late 1988, will include a new school and community hall capable of accommodating over 500 people.
§ Dr. Marekasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government have any plans to acquire the Commodore cinema in St. Helena; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Chris PattenThere is no Commodore cinema in St. Helena. The only cinema in St. Helena is the Paramount cinema in Jamestown, which was offered for sale to the St. Helena Government earlier this year. I understand that they decided not to purchase it because of the high selling price and cost of necessary renovation.
§ Dr. Marekasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for the replacement of the RMS St. Helena; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Chris PattenThe Government announced on 21 May, at column 414, their intention to build a new ship for the St. Helena service in a United Kingdom shipyard. The precise details of the type of ship, and of when the present vessel will be replaced, are now being worked out.
§ Dr. Marekasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were the reasons for cutting from five to four days the make-work scheme for workers who returned to St. Helena after working on Ascension Island.
§ Mr. Chris PattenThe five-day guaranteed employment scheme was introduced by the St. Helena Government in774W September 1985 as a temporary measure. It took the place of an earlier three-day guaranteed employment scheme. After careful consideration, the St. Helena Government decided earlier this year to provide for a four-day scheme.
§ Dr. Marekasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in setting up a loans facility on St. Helena; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Chris PattenWe are considering the possibility of establishing a central loans board with the St. Helena authorities, and we expect to receive a formal aid request shortly.
§ Dr. Marekasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what measures he has taken to safeguard commidendrum spurium on St. Helena;
(2) what measures he has taken to safeguard nesiota elliptica growing on St. Helena.
§ Mr. Chris PattenThe St. Helena Government, with assistance from the Overseas Development Administration, the botanical gardens at Kew, the World Wildlife Fund and Cambridge university, have taken both legal and practical measures to protect St. Helena's endemic flora. Specimens of these species are being propagated and last year a five-year development aid project began which covers conservation of the nesiota elliptica and commidendrum spurium.
§ Dr. Marekasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the present price of a kilowatt hour of electricity for domestic consumers on St. Helena.
§ Mr. Chris PattenThe domestic electricity tariff on St Helena is lop per unit for the the first 35 units and 12p per unit thereafter.
§ Dr. Marekasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if any progress has been made in the provision of an air strip on St. Helena; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Chris PattenVarious proposals have been examined, but they would not be cost-effective. We are now concentrating on maintaining suitable sea links to and from the island.
§ Dr. Marekasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will request the Canadian Government to consider granting aid to St. Helena for the provision of an airstrip on the island; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Chris PattenNo.
§ Dr. Marekasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Comonwealth Affairs what is the gross pay of St. Helenians employed on make-work schemes; how many hours are worked on average; and how this compares with 1982.
§ Mr. Chris PattenGross pay for a four-day week of 30 hours under the guaranteed minimum work scheme is £26.10. In addition, married men are entitled to benefits which bring their total entitlements to £32.60. In 1982, the guaranteed minimum work scheme was limited to three days and applied mainly to single men. Their basic gross wage was £14.76 for a 22= hour week.
§ Dr. Marekasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration he has given 775W to the sea defences on St. Helena; whether he has any plans to improve the landing facilities and warehousing; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Chris PattenAt the request of the St. Helena Government, the European Development Fund is considering allocating funds for improvements to St. Helena's sea wall defences and landing facilities. In co-operation with the EDF, we have financed a feasibility study by a British firin (G. Maunsell and Partners). We received its report last month. It is now under consideration by the St. Helena Government and the EDF. So far, the St. Helena Government have not requested any improvement of warehousing facilities.
§ Dr. Marekasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for increasing the rate of building dwellings in St. Helena.
§ Mr. Chris PattenWe shall consider our future policy and possible further assistance in the light of a housing policy paper currently being prepared by the St. Helena Government.
§ Dr. Marekasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many dwellings were completed on St. Helena for each of the last seven years for which figures are available.
§ Mr. Chris PattenThe figures are not readily available. I shall write to the hon. Member.
§ Dr. Marekasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for the production of fresh milk on St. Helena.
§ Mr. Chris PattenNone.