587
SEAD
HKD) Written Answers нно
14/7/89 vol156
13 JULY 1989
the Vietnamese boat people from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR)'s general pro- gramme:
US$ million
1985
4-3
1986
4.8
1987
4.5
1988
9.2 7.0
1989 (to date)
In addition to our regular contributions to the UNHCR's general programme, we have also contributed the following funds to UNHCR for specific Hong Kong purposes:
£ million
1988 1989
1.1 7.1
We have also pledged this year £4-5 million directly to the Hong Kong Government for emergency accommoda- tion, and £5 million towards the cost of a planned refugee processing centre in the Philippines which would accommodate Vietnamese refugees now in Hong Kong.
Falkland Islands
FID
Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the present permanent population of the Falkland Islands; and what were the figures for the last five years.
Mr. Eggar: At the last census held on 16 November 1986, the population of the Falkland Islands was 1,916. At the 1980 census, the population was 1,813. No other figures are available.
Hong Kong
Written Answers
588
pollution or his chief inspectors. but officials are in frequent contact with staff of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution, in addition to their attendance at periodic inter-Departmental official meetings chaired by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution.
Mrs. Wise: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any Ministry of Defence site has ever violated environmental regulations agreed with Her Majesty's pollution inspectorate, the Department of Health and Transport, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Welsh and Scottish Offices, or the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, in regard to the storage, transport or disposal of radioactive and toxic
wastes.
Mr. Sainsbury: Although the Ministry of Defence as a Crown Department has immunity from certain regula- tions, it seeks to observe standards which are no less stringent than those required of civil operators. Unfortunately, accidents occur from time to time and may for example lead to minor dispersals of toxic or radioactive materials in contravention of the "agreements" reached with regulatory Departments. All such incidents are reported to the regulatory authorities, fully investigated and measures taken to avoid their recurrence.
Venture Glider
Mr. Bill Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has reached a decision on the type of motor glider selected to replace the Venture at volunteer gliding schools.
Mr. Sainsbury: No. A decision is expected very shortly.
Explosive Devices (Coastal Waters)
Mr. Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence
HHI if he will list, by geographical area, the number of second
Mr. David Martin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people formerly resident in Hong Kong and all associated territories and holding British passports have been accepted for permanent settlement into the United Kingdom in each year since 1979.
Mr. Renton: I have been asked to reply:
The numbers of British dependent territory citizens from Hong Kong accepted for settlement in the United Kingdom in the years 1979-88 are published in table 22 of the 1987 and 1988 editions of the annual Command Paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics, United Kingdom" (Cm. 415 and Cm. 726), copies of which are in the Library.
DEFENCE
Toxic Waste
Mrs. Wise: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last had a meeting with the chief inspector of Her Majesty's pollution inspectorate to discuss the future programme for the existing radioactive and toxic wastes arising from the defence programme.
Mr. Sainsbury: My right hon. Friend has had no recent meeting with the director of Her Majesty's inspectorate of
302 CW95/8 Job 2-6
world war explosive devices which have been discovered in British coastal waters in each of the past 10 years.
Mr. Archie Hamilton: Precise records of the number of such finds in each of the past ten years are not maintained. Each year, however, some 30 or 40 mines and 100 torpedoes, bombs or large calibre shells of world war I or world war II origin are found in British coastal waters.
Tornado Crash (RAF Akrotiri)
Mr. Devlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the crash of a Tornado aircraft at RAF Akrotiri on 4 July.
Mr. Neubert: On 4 July a Tornado F3 aircraft (tail number ZE 834) of No. 23 squadron, RAF Leeming, on detachment to RAF Akrotiri, suffered a collapsed nosewheel on landing after a routine training mission. Both crew members ejected successfully sustaining only minor injuries. The aircraft came to rest just off the runway. The extent of the damage sustained in this accident has not yet been established.
Environmental Pollution
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to conduct a full environmental pollution audit of the military nuclear fuel cycle, including
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