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Political Donations
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will bring forward legislation preventing privatised public utilities from making financial donations to political parties.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I have no plans to do so.
Departmental Contracts
Mr. Ronnie Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list, for each of the last five years, the duration, value and nature of contracts awarded by his Department to Arthur Andersen, Andersen Consultinlast five years to the specified companies, are as follows :
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Consultant |1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91 |1991-92 |1992-93 |Total value £
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arthur Andersen |- |- |- |- |- |-
Andersen Consulting |- |- |- |- |- |-
KPMG Peat Marwick |Review of prison laundries (4 months) |Training needs in Emergency Planning Department (6 months) |Review of charging procedures (1 month) |Review of organisation of PNCO (4 months) |Market testing scoping study (on going)<1> |366,465
|IND Relocation Study (1 year) |Crime audit of Nottingham City Council (5 months)
Touche Ross |Dtels management accounting system |(12 months) |Passport Agency study (2 months) |Review of catering service at Fire Service College (3 months)
(3 months) |Immigration Service survey of staff attitudes (5 months) |922,399
|PNC project support office (1 month) |Study into effective shift systems for the Police Service (3 months) |Review of shift working patterns in the Immigration Service (3 months)
|Statistics Department strategy study (3 months) |Contracting out of Prison Service catering (10 months) |Radio Spectrum sizing study (6 months)
|Feasibility study for replacement MIS (3 months) preparation |Emergency Planning Department message handling system (2 weeks)
|Preparation of model agreements (2 months) |ED5 asset valuation (2 weeks)
|Study of Accountancy requirements (6 weeks)
Ernst and Young |Revision of Operational requirement (2 months) |Privatisation of the IBA Terrestrial Transmission Service (1 year) |Consultancy assistance in ensuring VFM from the court escort service (1 month)
(on going)<1> |1,494,807
|Provision of support for marketing and sales activity (Arthur Young prior to Amalgamation) (3 years)|Validation of IT Strategy (3 months) |Firearms Licensing Costs (1 month) |Police roles and responsibilities (4 months)
|Services of temporary marketing manager (Arthur Young) prior to Amalgamation (9 months) |Court escort area service (2 months) |Artificial intelligence feasibility study (2 months) |ICL domain review (2 months)
|PROMIS/SPITS strategy study (3 months)
Price Waterhouse |Preliminary financial advice in privatisation of the IBA (2 months) |Advice on merits of computer programme (1 week) |Marketing strategy for Prison Service clothing and texture group (3 months)
(6 months) |1,330,913
|Transmission Service (10 months) |Study into television licence fee (1 month) |Marketing survey (3 months)
|Provision of financial advice on the privatisation of the IBA transmission service (10 months) |Police activity sampling a pilot study (4 months)
<1> Where a fixed price contract has not been completed, duration is described as "on-going".
Prison Service Union
Mr. David Martin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on his policy concerning recognition of the Prison Service Union ; and what progress has been made in granting recognition.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The director general of the prison service met representatives of the Prison Service Union on 2 March for a wide-ranging discussion on prison matters. He said at that meeting that their request for recognition was being considered, but that the issues were such that an early decision was unlikely.
Convictions
Mr. Tyler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what proportion of recorded crime in Cornwall and Devon has led to successful convictions in each of the last five years for which there are figures ; what were the average figures for England and for the United Kingdom for the same years ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what proportion of crimes led to successful convictions in each of the last five years for which figures are available for each county ; what was the average figure (a) for England, (b) for Wales and (c) the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement ;
(3) what proportion of recorded crimes have led to successful convictions in each of the last five years for which there are figures, in each county in England and Wales ; what were the average figures for England, Wales and for the United Kingdom for the same years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jack [holding answers 1 and 2 March 1993] : The information is not available. Information on recorded offences and court proceedings is compiled on different bases and a measure that combines the two therefore cannot be prepared. Figures for crimes cleared up by means of charge or summons were given in reply to a question from the hon. Member for Vale of Glamorgan (Mr. Sweeney) on 4 February at columns 291-92.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
Zimbabwe
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the Government of Zimbabwe concerning the proposed treaty on drought and desertification.
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Afghanistan
Mr. Horam : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how he proposes to respond to the UN Secretary General's appeal for humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The Government will make an immediate pledge of o7.5 million. This sum will be allocated as follows :
o3 million for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to support its programme of assistance to returning refugees from Pakistan and Iran ;
o1 million for the International Committee of the Red Cross ; o1 million for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan, for mine clearance ;
o1.6 million to respond to requests from non-governmental organisations involved in relief, rehabilitation and development work ;
o0.9 million food aid contribution through the World Food Programme.
This pledge is in addition to over o80 million of humanitarian aid provided by Britain for Afghanistan since 1980, of which o7.55 million has been disbursed in 1992-93 in response to an earlier UN appeal.
NATIONAL HERITAGE
Equal Opportunities
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many and what percentage of officers in each grade from 1 to 7 and overall in his Department are (a) women, (b) from ethnic minorities and (c) disabled people.
Mr. Key : The numbers and percentages of women in the Department of National Heritage and the Historic Royal Palaces Agency in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are as follows :
Grade |Number of Staff |Number of Women |Percentage of Women ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1A |1 |0 |0 2 |- |- |- 3 |4 |1 |25 4 |1 |0 |0 5 |19 |7 |37 6 |8 |3 |38 7 |52 |9 |17
We are able to identify the number of women amongst our staff from our basic staff records. As a new
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Department, we will not, until 1 April 1993, have complete personnel records or a personnel database covering all our staff. It is our intention to carry out an ethnic origin survey and disability survey as soon as possible after that date.Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what steps are currently taken by his Department to monitor the effectiveness of the equal opportunities provision within the Broadcasting Act 1990.
Mr. Brooke : Channel 3 and Channel 4 licences include conditions on equal opportunities for employment. The Independent Television Commission is responsible for monitoring licence conditions.
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what steps he has taken to recruit women, members of ethnic minorities and disabled people respectively, in top grades of employment at his Department.
Mr. Key : Recruits to the senior grades of the Department of National Heritage, as to any grade in the civil service, are selected on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, unless one of the exceptions permitted under the Civil Service Order in Council 1991 applies. Various steps have been taken by the civil service commissioners to aid recruitment from all sectors of the community including : extending links with institutions of higher education ; equal opportunities training for those involved in selection ; using validated selection procedures.
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when his Department last conducted surveys of (a) the ethnic origins and (b) women among its employees ; when it next plans to do so ; and whether he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : For women, there is no need for particular surveys, as the sex of employees is identified in our basic staff records. As a new Department, we will not, until 1 April 1993, have personnel records or a personnel database covering all our staff, and it is our intention to carry out an ethnic origin survey as soon as possible after that date.
Royal Armouries Museum
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has to attract private sector funding for the proposed move of the royal armouries museum to Leeds ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : The Department is contributing o20 million to the project, and further contributions are being made by Leeds development corporation and Leeds city council. Merchant bankers acting for the armouries have now circulated a briefing memorandum to potential investors, who will be invited to contribute the rest of the estimated cost of o42 million. The Government fully support this important project, which will bring significant benefits to Leeds.
Albert Memorial
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will make a statement on the condition of the fabric of the Albert memorial ; and what plans he has to restore and conserve it.
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Mr. Brooke [holding answer 29 March 1993] : A condition survey carried out in 1991 identified the need for considerable repairs to the ironwork, leadwork, stonework, decorative tiling, statues and mosaics. A restoration scheme has therefore been prepared which addresses all these matters. The estimated cost of restoration is overo10 million. In view of the many demands on public resources at a time of very tight public expenditure control, I have had to postpone a start on this project. However, the Government remain committed to a worthy restoration of the Albert memorial. In the meantime, the protection and safety of the memorial is being assured.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Equal Opportunities
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and what percentage of officers in each grade from 1 to 7 and overall in his Department are (a) women, (b) from ethnic minorities and (c) disabled people.
Mr. Goodlad : Figures for the Diplomatic wing are :
(a) Women :
Grade Total staff Staff who have
declared themselves
to be of ethnic
minority origin
|Number |As a percentage of
|total in grade<1>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 |7} |- |-
2 |33}149 |- |-
3 |109} |- |-
4 |1 |- |-
5 |303 |- |-
6 |91 |- |-
7 |492 |4 |0.8
Overall |6,400 |170 |2.7
<1> Response rate in voluntary ethnic survey: 89 per cent.
(b) Ethnic minorities :
Grade Total staff Staff who have
declared themselves
to be of ethnic
minority origin
|Number |As a percentage of
|total in grade<1>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 |7} |- |-
2 |33}149 |- |-
3 |109} |- |-
4 |1 |- |-
5 |303 |- |-
6 |91 |- |-
7 |492 |4 |0.8
Overall |6,400 |170 |2.7
<1> Response rate in voluntary ethnic survey: 89 per cent.
(c) The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Diplomatic Wing) employs no registered disabled staff in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or 7. One officer at grade 5 is registered disabled (0.3 per cent. of the grade). Overall 26 staff (0.4 per cent. of the workforce) are registered disabled.
Figures for the aid wing are :
(b) Ethnic minorities
|Total respondents|Ethnic minority |Per cent.
|staff
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grades 1-3 |10 |0 |(0 )
Grade 5 |42 |1 |(2.4)
Grade 6 |51 |1 |(2.0)
Grade 7 |128 |1 |(0.8)
Overall |1,297 |106 |(8.2)
These figures exclude the Natural Resources Institute.
Disabled Staff
(c) No staff in grades 1 to 7 are disabled.
Overall 26 staff are disabled (1.34 per cent.) These figures include the Natural
Resources Institute.
(b) Ethnic minorities
|Total respondents|Ethnic minority |Per cent.
|staff
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grades 1-3 |10 |0 |(0 )
Grade 5 |42 |1 |(2.4)
Grade 6 |51 |1 |(2.0)
Grade 7 |128 |1 |(0.8)
Overall |1,297 |106 |(8.2)
These figures exclude the Natural Resources Institute.
Disabled Staff
(c) No staff in grades 1 to 7 are disabled.
Overall 26 staff are disabled (1.34 per cent.) These figures include the Natural
Resources Institute.
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to recruit women, members of ethnic minorities and disabled people respectively, in top grades of employment at his Department.
Mr. Goodlad : Recruits to the senior grades, as to any grade in the civil service, are selected on merit on the basis of fair and open competition, unless one of the exceptions permitted under the Civil Service and Diplomatic Service Order in Council 1991 applies. Various steps have been taken by the civil service commissioners to aid recruitment from all sectors of the community, including : extending links with institutions of higher education ; equal opportunities training for those involved in selection ; using validated selection procedures.
All recruitment advertising and literature makes clear that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is an equal opportunities employer. This message is underlined at the numerous careers events across the country at which the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is represented. The diplomatic wing has set up a cadre of volunteers from amongst its staff of ethnic minority origin to represent the Department at such events. Its recruitment brochure for the fast stream of the diplomatic service includes a positive action message for women. In the aid wing, job advertisements for all vacancies for senior positions carry a statement confirming that the Overseas Development Administration is an equal opportunities employer. By the application of published criteria, the aid wing ensures that all suitably qualified candidates are considered objectively for appointment.
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his Department last conducted surveys of (a) the ethnic origins and (b) women among its employees ; when it next plans to do so ; and whether he will make a statement.
Mr. Goodlad : The diplomatic and aid wings of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office conducted their original surveys of ethnic origins in 1986. They have been continuously updated since then. The aid wing's agency, the Natural Resources Institute, is undertaking a major exercise to update its database. The gender of employees is identified in staff records. Statistics are updated at regular intervals.
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Dietary Supplements
Mrs. Ann Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy on the implications for the availability of vitamin, mineral and other dietary supplements of the agreements on subsidiarity reached at the Edinburgh summit.
Mr. Garel-Jones : The Commission has not tabled proposals specifically aimed at controlling dietary supplements. Any such proposals would need to be judged against the subsidiarity criteria in the normal manner.
Mrs. Ann Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the European Commission has yet completed the review of its work programme commenced as a result of the agreements on subsidiarity reached at the Edinburgh summit ; and what information he has about the possible inclusion within that programme of the production of a directive on dietary supplements.
Mr. Garel-Jones : No ; work continues. Dietary supplements was not an area specified in the Commission's initial subsidiarity review. It is not clear whether or not the Commission intends to pursue an initiative on dietary supplements.
North Korea
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he possesses regarding the status of the Yongbyong nuclear facility in North Korea.
Mr. Douglas Hogg ; International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors have conducted six inspections at the Yongbyon nuclear facility. They have since asked to inspect two further undeclared sites in Yongbyon, which the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea have refused, in breach of their safeguards agreement with the agency.
Indonesia
Mr. Matthew Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on United Kingdom relations with Indonesia.
Mr. Goodlad : The United Kingdom maintains friendly and constructive relations with Indonesia. We are contributing substantially to Indonesia's development in key industrial sectors, and the opportunities for British business are enormous. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs is looking forward to his visit there later this week.
Pakistan (Chieftain Tanks)
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the Government of India concerning the sale of Chieftain tanks to Pakistan.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : There have been no representations to us by the Government of India about the possibility of the sale of Chieftain tanks to Pakistan.
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Hong Kong
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if pensions earned by retired members of the Hong Kong Government now living outside Hong Kong are paid in Hong Kong dollars or in the local currency.
Mr. Goodlad : Hong Kong Government pensions are payable in Hong Kong dollars, irrespective of where the recipients reside. In the case of United Kingdom officers who have retired in the United Kingdom, they may be paid in pounds sterling by the Crown Agents at the prevailing rate of exchange.
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what agreement has been reached with the Chinese Government regarding the payment of pensions to retired civil servants of the Hong Kong Government ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Goodlad : We reached the following agreement with the Chinese Government in the Sino-British Joint declaration of 1984 : "The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government shall pay to such persons (public servants) who retire or complete their contracts, as well as to those who have retired before 1 July 1997, or to their dependants, all pensions, gratuities, allowances and benefits due to them on terms no less favourable than before, and irrespective of their nationality or place of residence." This provision is repeated in the Basic Law, the Chinese constitution for Hong Kong after 1997.
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the adequacy of pension arrangements of Hong Kong retired civil servants who now live outside the colony.
Mr. Goodlad : Hong Kong Government pensioners, wherever they reside, have the option of having their pensions paid directly by the Hong Kong Government or the Crown Agents in the United Kingdom. As far as we are aware, both methods of payments have proved to be satisfactory.
Commercial Attache s
Mr. Hutton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many commercial attache s are currently serving in British embassies and high commissions overseas ; in what countries ; and how many had worked in industry before their appointment to the diplomatic service.
Mr. Goodlad : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for the Isle of Wight (Mr. Porter) on 10 March at column 602. Commercial work is part of the responsibility of all our bilateral ambassadors and high commissioners and all our senior diplomats overseas have an understanding of the importance of commercial diplomacy and trade promotion.
Maastricht Treaty
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from which articles, their paragraphs or their parts, Denmark is excluded from the obligations contained in title V of the treaty on European union, quoting in each instance the relevant parts of the Edinburgh decision and related treaty article.
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Mr. Garel-Jones : The decision on Denmark agreed at Edinburgh clarified, although it does not alter, either the text of the treaty on European union, or the obligations taken on by those who ratify the treaty. That applies to title V of the treaty as it does to other provisions. At Edinburgh, Heads of Government noted that Denmark does not participate in the elaboration and implementation of decisions and actions of the union which have defence implications.
EC Economic and Social Committee
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the members of the United Kingdom delegation to the European Community Economic and Social Committee.
Mr. Neville Beale
Mr. Michael Bell
Mr. John Little
Mr. Kenneth Gardner
Dr. Felix Kafka
Mr. Michael Mobbs
Dr. Ann Robinson
Mr. John Whitworth
Mr. Campbell Christie
Mr. Peter Dawson
Mr. Tom Jenkins
Mr. John Lyons
Miss Ada Maddocks
Mr. William Morris
Mr. Roy Sanderson
Mr. Alexander Smith
Mr. Wilfred Aspinall
Mrs. Jocelyn Barrow
Professor William Black
Mrs. Angela Guillaume
Mr. Robert Moreland
Mr. Michael Strauss
Yugoslavia
Dr. David Clark (South Shields) : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy regarding the acquisition of information on possible breaches of international conventions or treaties relating to the conduct of hostilities in the former Yugoslavia ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is collecting substantiated information about violations of international humanitarian law which will be submitted to the UN commission of experts.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his NATO counterparts relating to the acquisition of information on possible breaches of international conventions or treaties relating to the conduct of hostilities in the former Yugoslavia ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : None. However, the issue has been discussed with EC partners at regular intervals.
South Africa
Mr. McCartney : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what grants or donations the Foreign Office has given to the South African Rugby Football Union in the last five years.
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Mr. Lennox-Boyd : To mark the unification of the bodies that had previously controlled rugby union in South Africa, the British embassy in Cape Town donated 125,000 rand to the South African Rugby Football Union's township development programme in April 1992. A similar amount had previously been donated to mark the unification of the bodies controlling cricket in South Africa.
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