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Mr. Forth: My officials and I have held a number of meetings in the last 12 months with representatives of the National Union of Teachers, the National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, the Professional Association of Teachers, the National Association of Head Teachers and the Secondary Heads Association to discuss allegations of abuse against their members. The Department is now considering what new guidance might be issued about child protection and allegations of abuse. No comprehensive figures are available of the number of allegations of physical or sexual abuse made against teachers, or of how many of these lead to criminal charges. A recent survey relating to misconduct more generally suggested that while only 7 per cent. of allegations in 1992 93 had led to conviction for a criminal offence, a further 40 per cent. had been found substantiated and resulted in disciplinary action. Compensation where allegations are shown to be unfounded is in the first place a matter for employers.
Mr. Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list for 1992 93 and 1993 94, the amount spent in each London borough, with a total for each training and enterprise council area, under the partof the grant for education support and training programme now incorporated into the single regeneration budget, and the amount allocated to be spent in 1994 95 on the same basis.
Mr. Boswell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment gave to the hon. Member on Thursday 27 October 1994, Official Report , column 813 .
41. Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what training the Government provide to personnel involved in mine clearance operations in the removal of anti-personnel mines with self- neutralising or self-destruct mechanisms which have failed to self- neutralise or self-destruct; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Baldry: We fund a number of UN-sponsored operations, and operations of specialised non governmental organisations which provide training applicable to the individual mines identified in their areas of operation.
42. Mr. Carrington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support is being given to help non-government work in Rwanda.
Mr. Baldry: Since 6 April, we have specifically provided £15.5 million to non-governmental organisations implementing emergency relief programmes to displaced and refugee Rwandans.
43. Mr. Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the provision of development aid and assistance to the Republic of Somaliland by British and by international organisations including the European Union.
Mr. Baldry: Since May 1991 we have provided £5.3 million of humanitarian assistance to north-west Somalia. ODA established an NGO liaison and support office in Hargeisa in April.
44. Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to meet members or representatives of the Indian Government to discuss overseas aid.
Mr. Baldry: My noble Friend the Minister for Overseas Development plans to visit India from 4 to 8 December to see a number of our aid projects and discuss the aid programme with state and Government Ministers.
46. Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what new proposals he has to extend the scope of the know how funds in the Baltic states.
Mr. Baldry: The know how fund in the Baltic states continues to provide rapid and flexible help for the reform process. It is very much welcomed by the countries concerned.
47. Mr. Roy Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has tovisit Malaysia to discuss aid with Ministers of the Malaysian Government.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what current overseas development assistance is given to Sierra Leonne by Britain and the European Union; and if he will list the projects assisted by purpose, value and implementing body.
Mr. Baldry: In the current financial year, British aid is expected to amount to around £1.5 million on technical
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assistance, plus £0.35 million on humanitarian aid. Further details are set out in the table.European Community assistance in 1993 was 20.4 mecu. This comprised: national indicative programme 11.9 mecu; structural adjustment support 2.3 mecu;
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STABEX--agricultural commodity income support programme--3.4 mecu; other 2.8 mecu.Further details may be found in the 1993 annual report on co-operation between the European Union and the Republic of Sierra Leone, copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
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United Kingdom Bilateral Aid Projects currently being implemented in Sierra Leone |UK |contribution |Implementing Project |Purpose |£ Sterling |Body ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Moyamba Health: Water & Sanitation |Provision of clean water and sanitation to reduce |977,800 |CARE (UK) |diarrhoeal diseases Customs and Excise Adviser |Assistance with customs revenue collection to |281,000 |ODA |improve economy ASYCUDA (Automated System of Customs Data) |To increase customs efficiency and receipts and |140,000 |ODA/UNCTAD | minimise risk of fraud Income Tax Adviser |Assistance with income tax collection to improve |240,000 |ODA |economy Police Training Adviser |Provision of advice and training for Police Force to |440,000 |ODA |improve police efficiency Constitution |Assistance with the drafting of new Government |60,000 |ODA |constitution, to help forward democratic process Energy Sector Review |A review of woodfuels and household energy to |110,000 |ODA/World |identify options for improvement to satisfy |Bank |current and future demands Education Administration Advisers |To advise on administration restructuring and |32,000 |ODA |financial management in Sierra Leone's |Education Department Records Management Feasibility Study |To prepare a project for the improvement of Public |23,000 |Overseas |Administration records |Records |Management |Trust Economic Planning Workshop |To review aid monitoring and management process |12,800 |The British |in Department of Development and Economic |Council |Planning, and identify requirements for a |Management Information System Agricultural Certificate Training Centre, Njala |Provision of advice, equipment, and UK training |297,000 |Berkshire |awards for Agricultural Training Centre |College of |Agriculture Good Government Fund |Provision of advice and equipment to assist with |100,000* |ODA/The |progress towards democratic government |British |High |Commission United Kingdom Training Programme |Provision of UK training awards for selected Sierra |316,000* |The British |Leone citizens |Council Heads of Mission Gift Scheme |Provision of developmentally useful gifts to local |20,000* |The British |institutions |High |Commission Heads of Mission Small Projects Scheme |Provision of developmentally useful small projects |40,000* |The British |to local communities and institutions |High |Commission Emergency Humanitarian Aid (1994-95) Red Cross Emergency Relief Operation |Provision of emergency medical supplies and health |200,000 |British and | education programmes to displaced persons in |Sierra |Kenema, Mogbosi, Bomboli and Tomkolili |Leone Red |districts |Cross Relief Supplies for Displaced Persons |Distribution of emergency food, medical supplies |60,500 |Plan |and clothing for displaced persons in Moyamba |International |district |(United |Kingdom) Emergency Health Facilities and Medical Supplies |Provision of emergency health facilities and medical |91,000 |Concern for Displaced Persons' Camps |supplies to camps in Gonduma, Gerihun, Bo and |Universal |Kenema *Allocations for 1994-95
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Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made with the Palestinian national authority in establishing satisfactory forms of financial accountability that allow the efficient and effective disbursement of aid.
Mr. Baldry: Agreement has been reached with the Palestinian authority on a mechanism for the proper and efficient disbursement of the £3 million which we are providing towards Palestinian police salaries. The United Nations works and relief agency, which has long experience of paying salaries under conditions that are subject to audit, is being used as paying agent.
In addition, United Kingdom consultants working with the Palestinian authorities monitor payments and check that the correct amounts are paid to the police officers.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give a progress report on the use of British aid to help the Palestinians on the West Bank and in Gaza.
Mr. Baldry: We have pledged £75 million in aid for the Palestinians and in support of the peace process, for the three years 1994 95 to 1996 97. Most of this will be channelled through the programmes of the European Community. The EC has fully committed its programme for this year. Some of our aid will go through the United Nations relief and works agency, to which we have provided £6 million this year.
Our bilateral programme has spent £3.5 million so far this financial year. The projects include support for the police, the water sector and health care.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the outcome of the international donors' meeting in Paris between 6 and 9 September at which the disbursement of aid to the Palestinian national authority was discussed.
Mr. Baldry: The international donors' meeting in Paris between 6 and 9 September was postponed due to bilateral political issues. No new date for such a meeting has been set.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his assessment of the current humanitarian needs in Sudan.
Mr. Baldry: Harvest prospects are good in most parts of the country, although localised areas of need will remain. United Nations agencies are currently completing
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an assessment of humanitarian needs for 1995. The conclusions are expected to be made available shortly.Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which parts of Sudan are currently inaccessible to international humanitarian relief organisations.
Mr. Baldry: Operation Lifeline Sudan was refused access in September to four of the 77 destinations designated as relief distribution centres: Boma, Kongor, Nimule and Pariang. These are all located in areas of military activity. Access to the Nuba Mountains is as described in my answer of 25 October 1994, Official Report, column 546.
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations he has had in relation to the suspension of Britain's overseas aid to the Yemen.
Mr. Baldry: The outbreak of civil war made it impossible to continue with our aid projects. The decision to suspend our bilateral programme was taken at ministerial level. Aid funds were channelled instead to the International Committee of the Red Cross to provide humanitarian relief.
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent action his Department has taken to protect rain forests.
Mr. Baldry: Our policy is to help and encourage countries with rain forests to manage them sustainably. The Overseas Development Administration has around 200 forestry projects in progress or under consideration, at an expected cost to the aid programme of about £157 million. In July we hosted with the Government of India an international workshop in New Delhi which successfully agreed a standard format for countries to use to report to the United Nations commission on sustainable development on progress in implementing the forest principles agreed at the 1992 earth summit.
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the know-how fund projects that have been used for the production or promotion of (a) alcoholic drinks and (b) tobacco products.
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Mr. Baldry: No know-how fund projects have addressed directly the production or promotion of alcoholic drinks. Privatisation programmes in Hungary and Romania have included advice on the privatisation of breweries and one project in Bulgaria will advise the management of a brewery on an employee buy-out. A visit by a Georgian trade team to Britain, to help develop their export potential, included a component on the management and marketing of wine. Nine managers who have undertaken attachments to United Kingdom companies under a scheme to increase management experience have come from or been attached to companies with some interest in alcoholic drinks. This scheme has, since 1990, brought more than 650 managers to the United Kingdom. Two pre-investment feasibility studies have concerned firms involved in the alcoholic beverages sector.
On tobacco products, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to him by my hon. Friend, the Member for Morecombe and Lunesdale (Sir M. Lennox- Boyd) on 25 March 1993, Official Report, column 654 . No managerial attachments involving the tobacco sector have taken place since then, nor has any other support to tobacco sector projects been provided from the know-how fund.
Mr. Robert Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criteria are used to determine whether United Kingdom funding of aid projects will promote the economic development of the recipient country.
Mr. Baldry: I refer the hon. Member to the answers that I gave to the hon. Member for Monklands, West (Mr. Clarke) on 26 October 1994 at column 713 .
Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has imposed a request for a 90-day consultation period with the relevant trade unions at the Whitland and Longridge creameries following the announcement of 156 and 102 staff redundancies at the two creameries on 21 October.
Mr. Oppenheim: Statutory arrangements concerning redundancy consultation are set out in part IV, chapter II of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. These arrangements provide for application to an industrial tribunal by a recognised trade union where it is alleged that the employer has not complied with the requirements.
Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the types of special reasons approved by his Department under the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 which set aside the requirement for 90 days' consultation with the relevant trade union when more than 100 staff were made redundant.
Mr. Oppenheim: It is for an industrial tribunal to determine whether there are "special circumstances" justifying an employer's failure fully to comply with the
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duty to consult trade union representatives about proposed redundancies.Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment on what date he was informed by Dairy Crest that it intended to make 156 staff redundant at its Whitland creamery in Dyfed and 102 staff redundant at its Longridge creamery in Lancashire.
Mr. Oppenheim: Information contained in statutory redundancy notifications is supplied in confidence.
Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints were made in each of the past two years against members of the British forces serving in Cyprus.
Mr. Soames: Complaints against members of British forces in Cyprus can be made to a number of agencies. The information requested is not therefore held centrally and could be provided only at
disproportionate cost.
Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many serving members of the British forces in Cyprus have been sent home to the United Kingdom following disciplinary procedures in each of the past two years.
Mr. Soames: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number of disciplinary cases heard against members of the British forces in Cyprus, the number upheld, the nature of those complaints and the consequent sentence, for each of the past two years.
Mr. Soames: Information about the number of disciplinary cases heard against members of the British forces in Cyprus is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. However, central records are held of courts martial and of cases heard in Cypriot civil courts or the sovereign base area court where, if found guilty, service personnel may receive a penal sentence. A breakdown of these cases over the last two years is as follows:
Number |Charge |Finding/sentence -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1993 1 |Unauthorised phone calls |Guilty - reduced in rank 1 |Attempted arson/arson |Guilty - three-year |custodial sentence and |dismissed from HM |Forces 1 |Common assault and |Guilty - eight months' |assault occasioning |detention |actual bodily harm |(OABH) 4 |Assault OABH |All Guilty -six months' |detention -nine months' |detention -Reduced in |rank and stoppages of |pay £400 -nine months' |detention and stoppages |of pay £250 1 |Obtaining property by |Not guilty |deception, avoiding |liability by deception |forgery 1 |Theft |Guilty - 56 days' detention |and reduced in rank 1994 1 |Fraud |Guilty - 4 months' |imprisonment 1 |Criminal damage |Guilty - eight months' |imprisonment 1 |Improperly entering the |Guilty - Reduced in rank |female accommodation 1 |False accounting |Guilty - Reduced in rank, |six months detention and |dismissed from HM |forces 1 | Common assault and |Guilty - 112 days' | assault OABH |detention and stoppages |of pay £300 3 |Drink-related driving |offences |£150-Fined £600-Fined |£500 2 |Disobedience to standing |Guilty - 28 days' detention |orders 1 |Assault OABH |Guilty - seven |months'detention and |stoppages of pay £250 1 |Assault OABH |Not guilty 1 |Failing to provide a |Not guilty |specimen of breath after |an accident 1 |Theft |Guilty - Fined £400 2 |Absence without leave |Both guilty -112 days' |detention-five months' |detention 1 |Wounding |Guilty - Fined £2000 1 |Theft, false instrument and |Guilty - six months' |forgery |detention and stoppages |of pay £1,448 90p 1 |Common assault and |Guilty - Reduced in rank |drunkenness Note: Figures exclude cases heard in Cyprus where the offences were committed elsewhere.
Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number and nature of complaints made in each of the past two years against members of the British forces in Cyprus; and how many recorded cases there have been of assualt, criminal damage, rape, attempted rape, grievous bodily harm and actual bodily harm.
Mr. Soames: Information about the number and nature of complaints against members of the British forces in Cyprus is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, central records are held of courts martial and of cases heard by a civilian court or the sovereign base area court where, if found guilty, service personnel may receive a penal sentence. Details of cases in the categories requested which have been heard in the last years are as follows:
|1993|1994 ------------------------------------------------------------- Criminal damage |- |1 Common assault and drunkeness |- |1 Common assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm |1 |1 Assault occasioning actual bodily harm |4 |<1>2 Grievous bodily harm |- |- Rape |- |- Attempted rape |- |- Figures exclude cases heard in Cyprus but where the offence was committed elsewhere. Note: <1> In one of these cases the verdict was not guilty.
Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number and rank of those members of the British forces stationed in Cyprus who have been court martialled either while on the island or in the United Kingdom in each of the past two years.
Mr. Soames: The information requested is as follows:
1993 |1994 (to date) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Sergeant |1 Lieutenant<1> 1 Corporal |1 Flying officer 2 Senior aircraftmen |1 Master air load master 5 Private soldiers |1 Staff sergeant |4 Corporals<2> |1 Lance-corporal |1 Senior aircraftmen |7 Private soldiers Figures exclude cases where the court martial was held in Cyprus but the offence was committed elsewhere. Note: <1> Found not guilty. <2> One of the corporals found not guilty.
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his oral statement of 17 October, Official Report , column 40 , what action he has taken to examine allegations about Gulf war syndrome sickness.
Mr. Soames: A medical assessment programme has been established for all former Gulf personnel who have come forward with concerns about their health. As part of the assessment they are given a very detailed medical examination consisting of tests and investigations tailored to the patient's medical and occupational history, their reported symptoms and clinical signs. In addition to clinical information gained through these assessments, we are kept informed of relevant developments by former Gulf allies, including the findings of the ongoing American medical assessment programme for United States Gulf veterans.
Information from the medical assessment programme and from other recognised scientific sources is reviewed by medical and scientific experts in my Department covering a range of specialities, including general medicine, occupational medicine, public health medicine, pathology and psychiatry. These investigations have produced no evidence of any medical condition peculiar to service in the Gulf.
Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to sell Scorpion tanks and further Hawk aircraft to Indonesia.
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Mr. Freeman: A commercial contract was concluded by industry last year for a further 24 Hawk aircraft to Indonesia. No further Hawk contract has been signed. I also understand that no contract for Scorpion vehicles has yet been signed by Industry. Details of negotiations are commercially confidential between the customer and supplier, but the export of military goods from the United Kingdom has been and will continue to be subject to export control which takes into account defence and foreign policy considerations.
Mr. Barry Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many man hours were taken up by adjusting the clocks throughout his Department.
Mr. Soames: My Department makes no record of this information.
Mrs. Maddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of public appointments made by his Department were held by women at the most recent date for which figures are available.
Mr Soames: I refer the hon. Member to "Public Bodies 1993", which shows the number of women serving on MOD non-departmental public bodies. The 1994 figures are still being collated and will be announced in due course.
Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average processing time of his Department is in respect of applications for (a) residence permits for migrant citizens of the European Union and (b) residence documents of their third country national family members, as at October 1994; and what it was in October 1993.
Mr. Nicholas Baker: The information available on processing times for deciding applications for residence documents during October 1993 and September 1994, the latest date for which figures are available, is as follows:
|Residence |Residence |permits |documents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ October 1993 |67 per cent. within |48 per cent. within |one month |one month |85 per cent. within |74 per cent. within |two months |two months |98 per cent. within |96 per cent. within |six months |six months September 1994 |57 per cent. within |38 per cent. within |one month |one month |77 per cent. within |57 per cent. within |two months |two months |98 per cent. within |86 per cent. within |six months |six months
In consequence of the European Economic Area agreement the figures for September 1994 include applications relating to nationals of Austria, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden as well as European Union nationals.
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Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the longest period during which an application for (a) residence permits for a migrant citizen of the European Union and (b) a residence document for the third country national family member of such a person has been outstanding as at October 1994.
Mr. Nicholas Baker: As at 1 October 1994, the longest period for which a residence permit application had been outstanding was 10 months and the longest period for a residence document application 46 months.
Mr. Rooker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made since July in respect of returning to British jurisdiction fugitives from justice resident in Turkish occupied Cyprus.
Mr. Maclean: The situation which existed in July remains unchanged. We have an extradition arrangement with the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, whose writ does not run in the north of the island. We do not recognise northern Cyprus as a separate state. We have made it clear to the Turkish Cypriot "authorities" that we shall continue to press for the return of fugitives resident there.
Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the incidents, giving in each case the date, type of incident with brief details, and the outcome, at Doncaster prison since 20 June to the latest available date.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 24 October 1994]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Derek Lewis to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 31 October 1994:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking for a list of incidents, giving in each case the date, type of incident with brief details, and the outcome, at Doncaster prison from 20 June to the latest available date.
Incidents reported by establishments to Prison Service Headquarters fall into the two categories of "major" or "minor" as defined in Prison Service Circular Instruction 18/1988. Details of incidents reported by Doncaster during the period in question are attached.
Major Incidents From 20 June 1994 to 30 September 1994: HMP Doncaster
Escapes--
10 August 1994
An unsentenced prisoner charged with criminal damage, escaped posing as a visitor. A visitor who then tried to leave was stopped as the photo image machine revealed a discrepancy. The police were called and the visitor arrested. Police enquiries resulted in the prisoner being recaptured within 30 minutes.
Major Assaults--
28 July 1994
One prisoner attacked another, punching him about the head and body with his fists. Minor injuries were treated in the prison Health Care Centre.
22 August 1994
One prisoner was attacked by several unknown assailants. There were no serious injuries. He was treated in the prison Health Care Centre.
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22 August 1994One prisoner was attacked by three unknown assailants. There were minor injuries, which were treated in the prison Health Care Centre. 25 August 1994
A prisoner was arguing with a custody officer and suddenly punched the officer on the shoulder. There were minor injuries but no treatment was required.
26 August 1994
One prisoner was attacked by two other prisoners in an argument over property. There were minor injuries which were treated in the Health Care Centre.
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