§ Ms. MowlamTo ask the Secretary for the Environment if it is a prerequisite for accepting any private sector bid for the Canary Wharf project for there to be an agreement from the firm to give financial assistance to the Jubilee line extension.
§ Mr. RedwoodThe terms on which Canary Wharf may be offered for sale are entirely a matter for the administrator appointed to manage Olympia and York's affairs in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. SheldonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, when considering any possible move to Canary Wharf he will take into account the cost of London weighting allowance and compare total costs of such a move to those of dispersing to other regions of the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. HowardThe 2,000 posts in my Department which are to move to docklands, subject to securing accommodation on suitable terms, need to remain within London because they need to have regular contacts with Ministers. The question of the comparative costs of dispersal to other parts of the United Kingdom does not therefore arise. I shall, however, continue to look for further opportunities to relocate posts to other parts of the country, bearing in mind the point which the right hon. Member makes.