The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 1990-1997

1996Prime Minister (1990-1997)

PMQT Written Answers – 30 April 1996

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Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 30th April 1996.

PRIME MINISTER:

 

Ministerial Visit (Gosport)

Mr. Viggers: To ask the Prime Minister if he will pay an official visit to Gosport.

The Prime Minister: I have at present no plans to do so.

 

Department of Transport

Mr. Allen: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the future role of the Department of Transport.

The Prime Minister: The “Transport Report 1996”, Command Paper 3206, which was published on 25 March, sets out the Department of Transport’s overall objectives and priorities for the immediate future.

 

Nuclear Safety and Security Summit

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 22 April to the hon. Member for Reading, West (Sir A. Durant) Official Report, columns 18-19, if he will publish (a) the financial commitments made to the Ukraine to close down and clean up the Chernobyl reactors by (i) the United Kingdom and (ii) the G7 and (b) the timetable over which these commitments are made.

The Prime Minister: The memorandum of understanding signed in December 1995 between the Ukraine, the G7 countries and the European Commission provides for the closure of Chernobyl within the framework of a comprehensive assistance programme for Ukraine’s energy sector. The MOU committed assistance to some $500 million in grants and to $1.8 billion in projected investments. To date, the United Kingdom has contributed over £16 million for Chernobyl-related projects and assistance with energy sector restructuring.

Mr. Smith: To ask the Prime Minister what estimates he has made of the cost to the United Kingdom of (a) additional health monitoring, (b) nuclear installations safety reviews, (c) compensation for loss of trade to the United Kingdom and (d) other costs of the Chernobyl accident of 1986.

The Prime Minister: No central estimate has been made of the cost of the United Kingdom of additional health monitoring of the Chernobyl accident. Direct costs which can be identified amount to around some £13 million for compensation paid to sheep farmers and environmental monitoring projects. In addition, over a 10-year period, £33 million will have been invested in the Government’s radioactive incident monitoring network.

 

Prince of Wales’s Consent

Mrs. Fyfe: To ask the Prime Minister in what circumstances the Prince of Wales’s consent is needed for a Bill.

The Prime Minister: Bills whose provisions affect the hereditary revenues, personal property or interests of the Duchy of Cornwall require the consent of the Prince of Wales to be signified in both Houses before they are passed. The same would apply to any Bill which affected the interest of the Prince of Wales in his capacity as Prince and Steward of Scotland.

 

Engagements

Sir Peter Tapsell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 30 April.

Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 30 April.

The Prime Minister: This morning, I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.