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Royal Parks
Mr. Dowd : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what progress his Department has made in privatising the manageht hon. Friend announced to
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the House on 1 April, the Royal Parks Agency was established on that day with delegated responsibility for the day-to- day management of the royal parks. The agency's chief executive will remain accountable to my right hon. Friend for the agency's performance.Welsh Language Broadcasting
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what assessment his Department has made of the potential audience for S4C, in respect of the numbers of Welsh speakers, especially with relation to those with modest knowledge of, or understanding of the Welsh language in relation to the level of public subsidy for the channel ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Brooke : I understand that 67 per cent. of the population in Wales, and up to 90 per cent. of all Welsh speakers in Wales, watch S4C programmes each week.
National Lottery
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) what powers he intends to give to the director general of the national lottery to determine the levels of profit and administrative costs for the body corporate licensed by him to run the national lottery or for those bodies corporate licensed by him to promote lotteries as part of the national lottery ;
(2) what powers he plans to give to the director general of the national lottery to determine the extent to which radio and television advertising is used to promote the national lottery ; (3) what control the director general of the national lottery will have over the contracting out of work to other bodies corporate by the body corporate licensed by him to run the national lottery and by the bodies corporate licensed by him to promote lotteries as part of the national lottery ;
(4) if the applications made to the director general of the national lottery by bodies corporate to run the national lottery, or by bodies corporate to promote lotteries as part of the national lottery, will be required to detail any proposed contracting out of work to other bodies corporate ;
(5) if the licence authorised by the director general of the national lottery to a body corporate to run the national lottery, or to bodies corporate to promote lotteries as part of the national lottery, will include authorisation for those bodies corporate to contract out work to other bodies corporate ;
(6) what control the director general of the national lottery will have over the contracting out of work to other bodies corporate by the body corporate licensed by him to run the national lottery and by the bodies corporate licensed by him to promote lotteries as part of the national lottery ;
(7) if work contracted out to other bodies corporate by the body corporate licensed by the director general of the national lottery to run the national lottery, or by those bodies corporate licensed by him to promote lotteries as part of the national lottery, will be on the basis of competitive tender.
Mr. Key : The powers of the director general are set out in the National Lottery etc. Bill. In considering whether to grant a licence under clause 5 the director general will no doubt take into account a number of matters, which might
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include the levels of profit and administrative costs of those bidding ; these may then be reflected in licence conditions. Whether or not to contract out work would be an operational matter for the body which was awarded the clause 5 licence. It would be subject to normal commercial tendering arrangements. However that body could not contract out the running of games unless they were regulated under a clause 6 licence. In addition, the director general could, through the clause 5 licence, ensure that any sub-contracts included conditions to enable him to carry out effectively his statutory duties under clause 4. Advertising would be a matter for the operator, and would be subject to the constraints of the ITC and Radio Authority codes ; however, in assessing the merits of particular bids the director general would no doubt take into account the effectiveness of the proposed marketing strategy.Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what powers he intends to give the director general of the national lottery to determine places of sale for national lottery tickets.
Mr. Key : My right hon. Friend has powers under clause 12 of the National Lottery etc. Bill to regulate the places where lottery tickets can be sold. The director general may, among other things, consider the retail strategy of applicants for a licence under clause 5.
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) what powers he plans to give to the director general of the national lottery to decide on the frequency of national lottery games ;
(2) what powers he plans to give the director general of the national lottery to determine the size of the prize offered by the national lottery ;
(3) what powers he plans to give to the director general of the national lottery to determine the extent to which the national lottery is allowed to roll over prizes.
Mr. Key : In consideration whether to grant any licence under clause 6, the director general will examine the rules of proposed games and will be able to take into account matters such as the prize structure, odds (and therefore the likelihood of rollover), and the frequency of competitions. In addition, my right hon. Friend is minded to direct the director general to use his powers to limit rollover to no more than three consecutive games.
Private Finance Initiative
Sir John Stanley : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what steps his Department has taken to implement the private finance initiative announced in the autumn statement on 12 November 1992 and in the "Treasury Private Finance Guidance" published on 9 December 1992.
Mr. Brooke [holding answer 1 April 1993] : My Department is examining the scope for involving the private sector in the ways suggested by the interim guidance published by the Treasury on 9 December 1992, and the further published guidance on contract energy management (17 February 1993) and joint ventures (16 March 1993).
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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Korea
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to visit the Korean peninsula ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Garel-Jones : My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary will visit the Republic of Korea from 7 to 9 April. This will be a good opportunity for wide-ranging talks with members of the new Administration there and with business representatives.
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of recent changes in the human rights situation in the Republic of Korea ; and if he will make a statement on the recent amnesty granted by the Government there.
Mr. Garel-Jones : Together with our European Community partners, we continue to monitor developments over human rights in the Republic of Korea. We are very encouraged by progress in the democratic process, most recently demonstrated by the presidential election. We regard the recent amnesty for prisoners as further evidence of the Government's desire to establish a broader base of popular trust within the country.
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether each American nuclear base installed in South Korea has been examined and cleared by the International Atomic Energy Agency ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : South Korea acceded to the non-proliferation treaty as a non-nuclear weapon state in 1975 and has in place a full scope safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency. No reports of non-compliance have been received.
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the resolution approved by the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency on 18 March on the attempts to implement the request for nuclear safeguards inspections in North Korea.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : A copy has been deposited in the Library of the House.
Somalia
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current waiting time for Somali refugees who are awaiting entry certificates to join dependants ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Garel-Jones : Most Somali refugee applications for entry clearance to join dependants are received at Nairobi, Addis Ababa and Djibouti/Sana'a. Where Home Office authority has been pre-advised to post, in accordance with the concessions agreed by Ministers in 1988, visas are issued on the day of application. All other applicants are interviewed by an entry clearance officer and their applications referred to the Home Office. Applicants at Nairobi are usually interviewed within seven days. The waiting time for interview at Addis Ababa is currently
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about six weeks. There are no visa issuing staff at Djibouti. Entry clearance officers from Sana'a visit Djibouti every two months to carry out interviews. The Home Office decision on applications can take between three weeks and six months depending on the complexity of individual cases.Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the way applications for entry certificates by citizens of Somalia are dealt with at the British high commission, Nairobi ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Garel-Jones : Entry clearance procedures at all posts overseas are constantly monitored. Applications for entry clearance by citizens of Somalia are processed at the British high commission, Nairobi, in accordance with the operating standards established by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for all overseas posts. Somali applicants for transit visas are interviewed on the day of application and, if appropriate, visas issued on the same day. Somalis who wish to join relatives in the United Kingdom for settlement are granted interviews usually within seven days from submitting their applications and details are then sent to the Home Office for decision, a process which usually takes between 10 and 25 days.
Nuclear Testing
Dr. Reid : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what costs have been incurred by the British embassy in Washington DC in the last year in the process of lobbying the United States Congress on the question of nuclear testing ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Garel-Jones : Lobbying congressmen on a wide range of issues is a routine activity for the embassy in Washington. It is not practical to extrapolate with precision the costs of lobbying Congress on this specific issue from those of the overall activities of the embassy. But within the context of the embassy's work the time taken to do so was minimal, and the costs are likely to have been similarly minimal.
Western Sahara
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what actions the United Kingdom representative at the United Nations has taken to ensure that a referendum is held on the future of the Western Sahara.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Following the unanimous adoption of Security Council Resolution 809, the United Kingdom permanent representative has been in touch with the United Nations Secretary-General to offer our support and to encourage him to redouble his efforts with both parties to bring about a referendum by the end of the year. The Secretary-General's special representative, Yaqub Khan, is currently visiting the region.
Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those countries which have signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : A list of states party to the non-proliferation treaty has been deposited in the Library of the House.
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Iran
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Italy with regard to joint efforts to combat terrorism emanating from Iran.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We and our European partners made clear at the Edinburgh summit in December our concern at Iranian behaviour in a number of areas, particularly the fatwa against Salman Rushdie and terrorism. We maintain regular contact with our European partners including the Italians, on ways of combatting terrorism.
Council of Ministers
Mr. Booth : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish a statement of forthcoming business in the European Community Council of Ministers.
Mr. Garel-Jones : The information is as follows :
Council of Ministers business for April 1993 1. The following meetings are planned :
5 April : Foreign Affairs Council
5 April : Internal Market Council
6 April : Employment and Social Affairs Council
19 April : ECOFIN Council
23 April : Energy/Environment Council
26-27 April : Agriculture Council
29 April : Research Council
2. The following subjects are likely to be discussed :
(a) Foreign Affairs Council--5 April
Commission opinion on Norway and preparation of opening negotiating session
Relations with Russia
Relations with Slovenia
Ex-Yugoslavia
Trade Policy questions
(b) Internal Market Council--5 April
Duration of Copyright (5509/92)
Cable and Satellite broadcasting copyright (8331/91)
CE Mark regulation (6827/91)
Directive on braking of two or three wheeled motor vehicles (4946/92)
Directive amending Directive 89/392/EEC on machinery
Directive on Statutory Markings for two or three wheeled motor vehicles (5331/91)
Additional measures concerning the official control of foodstuffs (4690/92)
Directive on sweeteners for use in foodstuffs (7726/92) Public supply contracts (8746/92)
(c) Labour and Social Affairs Council--6 AprilBiological agents Directive (8075/92 ; 5058/93)Working time Directive (590/91 ; 8145/92)Fishing Vessels Directive (9482/91 ; 8731/92)Protection of Young Workers Directive (5378/92 ; 4690/92)European Works Councils Directive (4466/91 ; 8319/91)Employment (open session)
(d) ECOFIN Council : 19 April--(provisional agenda)Economic recovery in EuropeInterinstitutional Agreement on budget disciplineEuratom loans to improve the degree of efficiency and safety of nuclear power stations in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and in the Commonwealth of Independent States (possible)Community guarantee to the EIB against losses under loans for projects in Albania (possible)7th VAT DirectiveProposal for a Council Directive on deposit-guarantee schemesCompany taxation (possible)
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(e) Energy/Environment Council--23 AprilCommunity Strategy on Climate change (including CO /Energy tax) (7018/92)(f) Agriculture Council--26/27 AprilPrice-fixing proposals (COM(93)36)Milk Quotas (5466/93)GATT AgricultureSugar (4632/93 ; 5278/93)Greek Tobacco (5018/93) (possible)Potatoes (10483/93 ; 4613/93) (possible)
(g) Research Council--29 AprilAgenda unavailable
3. The Foreign Affairs Council will meet on 5-6 April. EC Foreign Ministers will consider a revised negotiating mandate for partnership and co- operation agreements with the States of the former Soviet Union. Ministers will also consider a negotiating mandate for new Europe Agreements with the successor Czech and Slovak Republics, as the Europe agreement signed with Czechoslovakia in December 1991 was not ratified prior to the country's dissolution at the beginning of 1993. Ministers will agree to open accession negotiations with Norway.
4. The Internal Market Council will meet on 5 April and will discuss statutory markings and braking for two and three wheeled vehicles ; CE mark regulation ; cable and satellite broadcasting copyright and duration of copyright. Ministers will also discuss directives on the official control of foodstuffs and sweeteners for use in foodstuffs. Public supply contracts and the final adoption of the directive on machinery will also be discussed.
5. A formal meeting of the Labour and Social Affairs Council is planned for 6 April. The agenda has not been finalised, but the directives on biological agents, working time, and fishing vessels are likely to be discussed. A policy debate will also be held on the directives on protection of young workers and European Works Council. There is likely to be an open session on employment.
6. The Economic and Finance Council will meet on 19 April to discuss action to promote recovery in Europe resulting from the initiative launched by the Edinburgh European Council. It will also discusss the negotiations between the Council, the Presidency and European Parliament on a new inter- institutional agreement on budget discipline. The Council may also discuss a draft directive on company taxation concerning interest/royalties. The proposal to amend the 7th VAT Directive (Special VAT regime for second-hand goods, works of art, antique and collectors' items) is also scheduled for further discussion. It is possible, but unlikely, that there will also be discussions of EURATOM loans for nuclear safety in central and eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, EIB loans for projects in Albania, and the proposed Council directive on deposit-guarantee schemes.
7. A joint Energy/Environment Council will be held on 23 April. The Council will discuss the Community's strategy on climate change, including the proposals for a tax on carbon dioxide emissions and energy.
8. The Agriculture Council will meet on 26 and 27 April. Ministers will discuss the 1993-94 price-fixing proposals ; milk quotas ; the agricultural aspects of the GATT negotiations and sugar. They may also discuss Greek tobacoo and the review of the potato regime.
9. The Research Council will meet on 29 April. At present, the agenda is not available.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Child Support Act
Mr. Charles Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the impact of the European charter on the rights of the child upon the provision within the Child Support Act 1991 to name the father of the child in question ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Burt : The European charter to which the hon. Member refers was discussed in the European Parliament on 6 and 8 July 1992, when it was forwarded to the Commission, the Council and the Council of Europe. A European Parliament resolution is not binding on the member states. The provisions of the Child Support Act 1991 meet the standards set out in the United Nations convention on the rights of the child.
Mr. Soley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to monitor the effect of the Child Support Act 1991 on ethnic minorities.
Mr. Burt : The Child Support Act will apply in all cases where child maintenance is an issue. It will ensure that parents meet their responsibilities to their children whenever they can afford to do so and that the costs of maintaining those children does not unnecessarily fall to the taxpayer. No distinction will, or should, be made on grounds of ethnic origin.
Disabilitiy (Grants) Bill
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what recent representations he has received from the British Council of Organisations of Disabled People in regard to the Disability (Grants) Bill ; and what response he has made.
Mr. Scott : The Secretary of State received a letter on this subject from the Council at the beginning of February. The letter was also copied to the Prime Minister, and a reply was sent from his office.
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has had from the British Council of Organisations of Disabled People in regard to the Disability (Grants) Bill and the £500 limit on help to enable disabled people to live independently in the community ; what reply he is sending ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : The Secretary of State received a letter on this subject from the Council at the beginning of February. The letter was also copied to the Prime Minister, and a reply was sent from his office.
Young People, Scotland
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications were made by 16 to 17-year-old persons for income support due to severe hardship in (a) Inverclyde, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole in each of the past three years ; and of these how many were successful in (i) Inverclyde, (ii) Strathclyde and (iii) Scotland as a whole.
Mr. Burt : The administration of income support is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and a copy will be placed in the Library.
Letter from Ann Robinson to Dr. Norman Godman, dated 1 April 1993 :
As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency it is the responsibility of Mr. Michael Bichard to answer questions about relevant operational matters. However, as Mr. Bichard
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is away at the moment I am replying on his behalf to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking how many applications were made by 16 to 17 year old persons for Income Support due to severe hardship in (a) Inverclyde, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole in each of the past three years ; and of these how many were successful in (i) Inverclyde, (ii) Strathclyde and (iii) Scotland as a whole.The relevant information is appended. Information is not available prior to June 1990 because statistics were not kept until that date. In addition, the 1991 statistics for Inverclyde and Strathclyde do not include information relating to March 1991. This information has been obtained from the Severe Hardship Claims Unit.
I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy of this letter will appear in the Official Report and a copy will be placed in the Library.
Severe hardship applications
|Number of |Number successful
|applications
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1990 (June to December)
Inverclyde |115 |72
Strathclyde |2,767 |2,141
Scotland |4,755 |3,593
1991 (January to December)
Inverclyde |323 |244
Strathclyde |7,671 |6,280
Scotland |13,641 |10,983
Figures for Strathclyde and Inverclyde may be subject to amendment. Any amendment
1992 (January to December)
Inverclyde |354 |274
Strathclyde |12,929 |10,586
Scotland |22,795 |18,360
Disability Living Allowance
Mr. Robert B. Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether for the case of Mr. Christopher Fenlon (NL 02 20 33 C) he will set out (a) the date of application for disability living allowance, (b) the date of any subsequent appeal and (c) the date of the decision on the appeal.
Mr. Scott : The administration of disability living allowance is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend and a copy will be placed in the Library.
Letter from David Riggs to Mr. Robert B. Jones, dated 1 April 1993 :
As chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, it is the responsibility of Mr. Michael Bichard to answer questions raised about relevant operational matters. However, as Mr. Bichard is away at the moment I am replying on his behalf to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking whether for the case of Mr. Christopher Fenlon (NL 02 20 33 C) he will set out (a) the date of application for DLA, (b) the date of any subsequent appeal and (c) the date of the decision on the appeal.
Mr. Tenion applied for DLA on 17 June 1992. The claim was received on 7 July. On 11 August he requested a review of the decision dated 27 July. A decision was made on the review on 19 January 1993. I have written to you separately and in greater detail about this matter.
I hope that you find this reply helpful. A copy will appear in the Official Report and a copy will also be placed in the Library.
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