§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what are the hours of opening for each of the royal parks; and what are the hours for their lighting.
§ Mr. KeyThe information is as follows:
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Hours of opening and closing Park Opening Closing Hyde Park 05.00 am Midnight Kensington Gardens 05.00 am Dusk St. James's Park Open always Green Park Open always Regents Park (except Queen Mary Gardens) 05.00 am Dusk
Park Opening Closing Queen Mary Gardens 07.00 am Dusk Primrose Hill Open always Greenwich Park Pedestrian Gates 05.00 am 18.00 pm or Dusk, whichever is later Traffic Gates 05.45 am[...] 18.00 pm or Dusk, whichever is later Bushy Park Pedestrian Gates Open always Traffic Gates 06.00 am Midnight Richmond Park Pedestrian Gates Open always Traffic Gates November-February 07.30 am Dusk March-October 07.00 am Dusk
Lighting up hours Park Period Times Hyde Park Kensington Gardens Summer 20.45pm-Midnight St. James's Park Summer 20.45pm-Midnight Green Park Winter Standard lighting up times Regent's Park including Primrose Hill Greenwich Park Richmond Park No lighting in parks Bushy Park
§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what was the total cost of providing street and path lighting in royal parks for each of the last five years; and how many employees are engaged in providing and maintaining this service.
§ Mr. KeyThe total cost for the provision of street and path lighting was £221,000 in 1990–91 and £271,000 in 1991–92. Separate records of expenditure on these services were not kept for previous years.
The royal parks do not directly employ any staff to carry out these services.
§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will set out the cost of maintaining the railings around the royal parks for each of the last five years.
§ Mr. KeyThe total cost of maintaining and repairing the railings and gates around the royal parks was £86,000 in 1990–91 and £252,000 in 1991–92. Separate records of expenditure on these items were not kept for previous years.
§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will make a statement on the progress of contracting ground maintenance in the royal parks and the royal parks police force and the effects on cost and efficiency.
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§ Mr. KeyContracts for the gardening and landscape maintenance work and for urgent tree work have all been let and came into operation on 1 March 1992. The nursery contract will come into effect on 4 July. An additional contract for tree maintenance will be awarded shortly. None of the new arrangements affect the royal parks constabulary.
The primary objective of contracting out was to maintain and improve standards both in the royal parks and in the industry and I am confident that this will be achieved. Current projections are for an actual cost saving through contracting out of £200,000 in 1992–93.
§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many commercially sponsored litter bins and park benches there are in the royal parks; and what is his estimate of the consequent cost saving.
§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the direct labour departments by number of employees for each royal park and depot and list their functions.
§ Mr. KeyThe details are as follows:
Park Number Employed Function Central Parks1 14 Plant production in the Hyde Park nursery2 Regents Park 4 Plant production in the nursery2 Greenwich Park 6 Plant production in the nursery2 Richmond Park 2 Gamekeeping duties Bushy Park 1 Gamekeeping duties 1 Central Parks comprise—Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, St. James's Park and the Green Park. 2 Until 3 July 1992 when redundancy notices take effect. Plants will subsequently be purchased from a contractor.
§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has for reforestation of royal parks.
§ Mr. KeyThe royal parks tree replanting programme is based on the traditional tree planting patterns in each park.
§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the total cost for each of the last five years of providing(a) refuse and litter bins and (b) park benches and their maintenance in royal parks.
§ Mr. KeyThe details are as follows:
Year Bins Benches £ £ 1987–88 51,000 Nil 1988–89 138,900 Nil 1989–90 46,900 Nil 1990–91 85,000 16,500 1991–92 81,300 3,900 Records of park bench maintenance costs have not been kept separately.
§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what was the total income earned in royal parks for each of the last five years by(a) ice cream refreshment concessions, (b) deck chair concessions and (c) boating lake concessions.
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§ Mr. KeyThe figures are:
Concession Year ending 31 March 1988 Year ending 31 March 1989 Year ending 31 March 1990 Year ending 31 March 1991 Year ending 31 March 1992 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 Catering1 238.9 273.1 361.7 473.2 412.81 Boating 31.0 34.3 41.5 37.5 75.00 Deck chairs 20.6 24.6 7.3 23.5 23.30 1 Total catering concession income. Separate records of income relating to ice cream sales are not kept.
§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when management consultants last looked at the royal parks management structure.
§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many park keepers in royal parks are provided by private contractors.
§ Mr. KeyThis is a matter for the contractors. The numbers fluctuate with the amount of work required.