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Malaysia (ODA Assistance)

Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement as to progress on the Overseas Development Adminstration-supported project in Malaysia.

Mrs. Chalker : The Overseas Development Administration supports a number of projects and programmes in Malaysia. They are :

Technical co-operation training programme

Rural primary English project

Teachers training college language proficiency project

Secondary school curriculum project

Geological survey of Malaysia project

Adviser in population projections and demographic statistics North West water software

North East Thailand Development Project

Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what support his Department has given in relation to the contract for the north-east Thailand development project ;


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(2) whether his Department has made any assessment of the military implications in the contract awarding the north- east Thailand development contract to Messrs. Biwaters ;

(3) whether representatives of his Department discussed the contract for the north-east Thailand development project with Biwaters.

Mrs. Chalker : The Government have indicated to the Government of Thailand its readiness in principle to provide aid and trade provision support for the Green-E-Sarn development programme. This has involved discussions with Biwaters who are actively pursuing contracts associated with this programme. The Green-E-Sarn project, while originally put forward by the Thai military authorities, is a civil project for rural development in north-east Thailand, and is the responsibility of the National Economic and Social Development Board of Thailand : there are thus no military implications for the Department to assess.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Crown Prosecution Service

Mr. Vaz : To ask the Attorney-General how many lawyers have resigned from the Crown prosecution service during the last six months.

The Attorney-General : A total of 38 lawyers resigned from the Crown prosecution service during the six months to 31 October 1989.

Wardship Cases

Mr. Vaz : To ask the Attorney-General how many wardship cases were commenced in the High Court in (a) the current year to date, (b) 1988, (c) 1987, (d) 1986, (e) 1985, (f) 1984 and (g) 1983.

The Attorney-General : The numbers of wardship cases commenced in the High Court in each year from 1983 to 1988 and in the first seven months of 1989 are as follows :


Originating summonses 

issued                

Year    |Number       

----------------------

1983    |2,140        

1984    |2,408        

1985    |2,815        

1986    |3,399        

1987    |3,605        

1988    |3,704        

1989<1> |2,418        

<1>January to July    

Mr. Vaz : To ask the Attorney-General what was the cost of the advertising campaign to recruit staff to the Crown prosecution service in (a) 1986, (b) 1987, (c) 1988 and (d) the current year to present date.

The Attorney-General : The information, which is only readily available for the financial years beginning 1 April and ending 31 March, is as follows :


                                |£              

------------------------------------------------

1986-87                         |80,750         

1987-88                         |114,500        

1988-89                         |240,000        

1 April 1988 to 31 October 1989 |184,330        

Family Court

Mr. Vaz : To ask the Attorney-General when the working party into the possibility of a family court last met ; and how many Departments were represented on it.

The Attorney-General : The interdepartmental committee on family and domestic jurisdictions, part of whose terms of reference was to examine the feasibility of the establishment of a unified court for the exclusive exercise of jurisdiction in family and domestic matters, last met in August of 1988. The four Departments represented on that Committee were the Lord Chancellor's Department, the Department of Health and Social Security, the Home Office and the Treasury.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Fisher : To ask the Attorney-General how many (a) oral and (b) written questions were asked of his Department in 1988-89.

The Attorney-General : Other than questions withdrawn or transferred, I was asked 86 oral questions and 391 written questions during the 1988-89 parliamentary Session.

Mr. Fisher : To ask the Attorney-General how many written parliamentary questions he refused to answer in the parliamentary Session 1988-89.

The Attorney-General : None.

Mr. Fisher : To ask the Attorney-General how many written parliamentary questions to him in Session 1988-89 received answers that the information (a) was not available, (b) was not separately recorded, (c) was not centrally recorded, (d) was not recorded in Government statistics and (e) could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The Attorney-General : The information requested by the hon. Member is as follows :

(a) 10

(b) 1

(c) 0

(d) 1

(e) 17

Mr. Fisher : To ask the Attorney-General what was the cost to his Department of answering parliamentary (a) oral and (b) written questions in the parliamentary Session 1988-89.

The Attorney-General : The information requested by the hon. Member is not ascertainable.

Statistics

Mr. Fisher : To ask the Attorney-General whether his Department has discontinued (a) the collection or (b) the publication of any statistics since 1979.

The Attorney-General : No.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Law of Protective Surveillance, Czechoslovakia

Mr. John Browne : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make representations to the Czechoslovak Government under


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the terms of the Helsinki Final Act of the Vienna concluding document, concerning continued use of the law of protective surveillance, number 44 of 25 April 1973 ; and if he will urge the Czechoslovak Government to repeal the law immediately.

Mr. Waldegrave : The documents quoted by my hon. Friend do not contain provisions that would allow us to make representations in the way he proposes. However, we have taken advantage many times of the opportunities provided by the CSCE follow-up and intersessional meetings to remind states such as Czechoslovakia of their CSCE commitments on human rights. We have made clear our concern at all infringements--most recently in August over the detention and hunger strike of the dissident Stanislav Devaty.

North Korea (Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty)

Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to instruct Her Majesty's ambassador to the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to request Director-General Blix to visit North Korea in order to ascertain the reasons from the International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards directorate why North Korea is five years late in accepting the mandatory safeguards provisions following its accession to the non-proliferation treaty.

Mr. Waldegrave : No. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) continues to be in direct contact with the authorities in North Korea about a safeguards agreement. As the hon. Gentleman will be aware, we do not recognise North Korea as a state.

Parties to the non-proliferation treaty (NPT) are obliged, in accordance with its article III, to commence negotiation of safeguards agreements not later than the date of deposit of their instruments of ratification or accession. Such agreements must enter into force not later than 18 months after the date of initiation of negotiations.

Diplomatic Relations

Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the countries with which the United Kingdom has no diplomatic relations.

Mr. Sainsbury : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the then Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 5 May to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn). Since then agreement has been reached with Argentina to re-establish consular relations.

Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the existing diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and the People's Republic of China.

Mr. Maude : We and our EC partners maintain diplomatic relations with China. But the measures adopted by the Madrid European Council to register our concern at the June events in Peking remain in force.

Recognition of Countries

Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries the United Kingdom does not recognise.


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Mr. Sainsbury : There are a number of territories not recognised by the United Kingdom as independent sovereign states :

North Korea

Taiwan

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

Micronesia

Palestine

Saharan Arab Democratic Republic

Transkei, Ciskei, Venda and Bophuthatswana (the South African "homelands").

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) oral and (b) written questions were asked of his Department in 1988-89.

Mr. Sainsbury : The information is as follows :


                |Number       

------------------------------

Diplomatic wing               

  (a)           |747          

  (b)           |1,533        

ODA wing:                     

  (a)           |240          

  (b)           |380          

Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many written parliamentary questions he refused to answer in the parliamentary Session 1988-89.

Mr. Sainsbury : None, except for those that have been transferred.

Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many written parliamentary questions to him in Session 1988-89 received answers that the information (a) was not available, (b) was not separately recorded, (c) was not centrally recorded, (d) was not recorded in Government statistics and (e) could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Sainsbury : The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the cost to his Department of answering parliamentary (a) oral and (b) written questions in the parliamentary Session 1988-89.

Mr. Sainsbury : The information requested by the hon. Member is not available as it is not recorded centrally.

Statistics

Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has discontinued (a) the collection or (b) the publication of any statistics since 1979.

Mr. Sainsbury : The information requested by the hon. Member is not available as it is not recorded centrally.


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PRIME MINISTER

United Nations

Q18. Mr. Cryer : To ask the Prime Minister when she next expects to pay an official visit to the United Nations.

The Prime Minister : I attended the UN General Assembly on 8 November, where I gave a speech on environmental policy. I have no further current plans to visit the United Nations.

Homelessness

Q25. Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Prime Minister what plans she has to visit hostels for the homeless in London.

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

Global Warming

Q28. Mr. Boswell : To ask the Prime Minister what recent representations she has received on the subject of global warming.

The Prime Minister : Global warming and climate change were central to debate at the United Nations General Assembly which I attended last week. The Government have given a lead in tackling the problem of climate change, in particular through our aid programme for conserving tropical forests. The United Kingdom is the first developed country to have signed such a conservation agreement with countries with tropical forests. I was pleased to be able to announce at the United Nations that £100 million would be made available under our tropical forest actions programme.

I was also pleased to receive the report of the conclusions of the Noordwijk conference on air pollution and climate change at which the United Kingdom played a leading role. The declaration endorsed the work of the intergovernmental panel on climate change and our call for an international framework convention on climate change.

Food Destruction

Q121. Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Prime Minister if she will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the level of Community expenditure devoted to the destruction of food.

The Prime Minister : I have argued at several European Councils that action be taken to tackle the waste and expense of the common agricultural policy (CAP). I am pleased to say that the need for reform has now been recognised. Considerable progress has been made towards a more rational and sustainable CAP. I shall certainly take every opportunity to impress upon our Community partners the need to ensure that this process of reform is maintained.

Mr. Bernard Ingham

Q166. Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister how much longer she expects Mr. Bernard Ingham to remain as press secretary in No. 10 Downing street.

The Prime Minister : Mr. Ingham will remain as chief press secretary in No. 10 until it is time for him to leave.


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Local Government Finance

Q168. Mr. Gerald Howarth : To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received regarding the introduction of the community charge.

The Prime Minister : The Government continue to receive many representations on the community charge which is increasingly being recognised as a fairer alternative to domestic rates. It also relates to ability to pay where it matters most. A total of 9.5 million community charge payers are expected to be eligible for rebates. Most local authorities have welcomed the arrangements for transitional relief announced last month.

Water Act

Q189. Mr. Kirkhope : To ask the Prime Minister whether she will make a statement on the implementation of the Water Act.

The Prime Minister : I welcome the rapid implementation of the Water Act, which is strengthening the protection of our water environment and will deliver a thriving, efficient, private sector water industry within strong and essential public regulation.

Wolverhampton

Q191. Mrs. Maureen Hicks : To ask the Prime Minister whether she will visit Wolverhampton.

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

Stroud

Q212. Mr. Knapman : To ask the Prime Minister whether she will visit Stroud.

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

Overseas Aid Assistance

Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Prime Minister whether representatives of Her Majesty's Government have discussed with foreign Governments arms or civil engineering contracts which have been connected with overseas aid assistance.

The Prime Minister : Overseas aid is frequently used to finance civil engineering contracts that are of benefit to developing countries. It is not used in connection with sales of military equipment.

Bank of England

Sir David Price : To ask the Prime Minister what is her policy towards the scheme for the independence of the Bank of England.

The Prime Minister : I have nothing to add to my reply to the right hon. Member for Islwyn (Mr. Kinnock) on 2 November 1989, Official Report , column 464.

Public Transport

Mr. Vaz : To ask the Prime Minister on which date she last used public transport to attend an official function in Britain ; and what was the type of transport used.

The Prime Minister : I travelled by train to an official function on 31 August 1989.


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Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Fisher : To ask the Prime Minister how many (a) oral and (b) written questions were asked of her Department in 1988-89.

The Prime Minister : This information is not held centrally. However, an approximate record of this information is held in the House of Commons Library.

Mr. Fisher : To ask the Prime Minister how many written parliamentary questions she refused to answer in the parliamentary Session 1988-89.

The Prime Minister : Of those questions not transferred, none.

Mr. Fisher : To ask the Prime Minister how many written parliamentary questions addressed to her received answers that the information (a) was not available, (b) was not separately recorded, (c) was not centrally recorded, (d) was not recorded in Government statistics or (e) could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The Prime Minister : This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Fisher : To ask the Prime Minister what was the cost of answering parliamentary (a) oral and (b) written questions by her office in the parliamentary Session 1988-89.


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