Montserrat (Hansard, 19 May 1999)

§ Sir Alastair Goodlad
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans her Department has to provide assistance for information technology in schools in Montserrat; and if she will make a statement. [84364]

§ Clare Short
The three year public sector investment programme, agreed with the Government of Montserrat (GoM) as part of the Country Policy Plan signed in January this year, includes a project to rehabilitate existing school facilities. The actual detail of this project is still being prepared by the GoM. I will write to the right hon. Member when their plans are finalised.

§ Sir Alastair Goodlad
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with the Government of Montserrat about the cost and constructing time of the new Government headquarters temporary buildings; and if she will make a statement. [84361]

§ Mr. Foulkes
The original concept for the new Government Headquarters (GHQ) had been for a basic, only temporary, facility. This was planned in the belief that the Government of Montserrat (GoM) would be able to re-establish itself in Plymouth. However, the subsequent escalation of volcanic activity meant that this would not be possible, at least in the foreseeable future. Therefore, the GHQ needed to be constructed in a more permanent fashion and with more extensive facilities than originally envisaged—thus increasing the cost. An audit, earlier this year, found that most of the increases in cost were unavoidable. I wrote on 15 March to the Chairman of the International Development Committee about the audit and copied my letter and the report to the Library of the House. I will send copies to the right hon. Gentleman. My officials have had on-going discussions with the GoM to ensure that the additional work is completed in the shortest possible time, commensurate with keeping the increased costs to a minimum.

§ Sir Alastair Goodlad
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much money her Department has spent on consultancy work in connection with Montserrat in each of the last two years; and how much has been budgeted for the current year. [84363]

§ Clare Short
We spent approximately £2.7 million on consultants from the Montserrat programme in 1997/98 and £1.8 million in 1998/99. We have budgeted £1.8 million for the current year.

§ Sir Alastair Goodlad
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with the Government of Montserrat about mortgages on properties in the exclusion zone; and if she will make a statement. [84362]

§ Clare Short
We have agreed that the Government of Montserrat can reschedule mortgage payments owed to them on properties in the exclusion zone, on a case by case basis, reflecting the ability of each borrower to meet the repayment schedule.