§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the decision by the Shirayama Group to sell or lease county hall, London, to another hotel group; and how much is still owed by Shirayama from the original purchase price of the building. [41185]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordNo. Proposals for the sale or lease of the Riverside building of county hall are a matter for the freehold owners, Shirayama. The terms of the sale, with which Shirayama has to date wholly complied, were that £50 million was to be paid on completion with a deferred payment of £10 million to be paid in the period 1997 to 2012.
§ Mr. BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements are in place to secure the balance of the purchase price of county hall from the by Shirayama Group in the event of the building being sold or leased to a third party. [41184]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordThe deferred payment was secured by a legal charge on the Riverside building granted Shirayama in favour of the London Residuary Body or its successor.
§ Mr. BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what report has been made by English Heritage on the removal of the war memorial in county hall by the Japanese owners of the building; and if he will make a statement. [41188]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordNone, as far as I know.
§ Mr. BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has happened to the book of remembrance previously located adjacent to the war memorial on the principal floor of county hall, London. [41183]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordI understand that the book of remembrance is now located at the headquarters of the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority on Albert embankment.
§ Mr. BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what applications have been made by the current owners of county hall, or their representatives, to remove or delist artefacts or listed features of the building. [41187]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordNone, as far as I know.
§ Mr. BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when English Heritage last inspected county hall, London, and submitted a report to his office. [41189]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordOn 19 October. There is no requirement to report to me.
405W
§ Mr. BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what licences have been applied for by the current owners of county hall, the Shirayama Group, in respect of sea mammals to be housed in the proposed aquarium on the site. [41186]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordI understand that the owners of county hall intend to open an aquarium on the site. If the proposed aquarium is to be open to the public for more than seven days a year, it would need to be licenced under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981. It would be for the London borough of Lambeth to decide whether to issue such a licence. I understand that the council has not so far received an application from the Shirayama Group.
If the owners wished to import for display at the aquarium any species covered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild and Fauna and Flora, they would need to apply for an import permit from my Department, and, for some species, an exemption certificate permitting the display of such specimens. We have received no CITES applications from the group.