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Council tax levels 1995-96<1> Local authorities |£ ---------------------------------------------------------- Alyn and Deeside |403 Colwyn |387 Delyn |401 Glyndwr |383 Rhuddlan |399 Wrexham Maelor |406 Carmarthen |439 Ceredigion |451 Dinefwr |445 Llanelli |495 Preseli Pembrokeshire |427 South Pembrokeshire |416 Blaenau Gwent |343 Islwyn |334 Monmouth |351 Newport |349 Torfaen |354 Aberconwy |400 Arfon |382 Dwyfor |384 Meirionnydd |391 Ynys Mon |399 Cynon Valley |390 Merthyr Tydfil |396 Ogwr |401 Rhondda |400 Rhymney Valley |402 Taff Ely |402 Brecknock |393 Montgomeryshire |377 Radnorshire |378 Cardiff |338 Vale of Glamorgan |353 Lliw of Glamorgan |419 Neath |454 Port Talbot |419 Swansea |435 <1> Provisional. Average band D council tax payable in billing authority area. Figures taken from billing authorities' budget requirement returns. Includes community, county and police precepts.
Medical Secretaries
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what guidelines cover the use of national health service medical secretaries during their working hours by private medical consultants at their private consulting rooms; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Redwood: There are no guidelines issued nationally. It is a matter for employers to instruct their employees on the duties of their jobs.
People and Prosperity: a Challenge to Wales"
Mr. Sweeney: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he intends to publish a statement follow-up consultation document on training, education and enterprise "People and Prosperity: a Challenge to Wales."
Mr. Redwood: I will publish a follow-up action plan "People and Prosperity: an Agenda for Action in Wales" on Monday 20 March. This sets out the action needed to raise standards, make faster progress towards the national targets for education and training and promote a culture of learning and enterprise.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Advertising
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what has been the expenditure by the Central Office of Information on (a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) newspaper advertising and (d) all other advertising and publicity, for each year since 1979, including the estimate for 1994 95 and the budget for 1995 96, expressed in 1994 prices.
Mr. Horam: The Central Office of Information conducts no television advertising, radio advertising, newspaper advertising or any other advertising or publicity on its own behalf.
Citizens Charter
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what has been the expenditure on publicity and public information associated with the citizens charter in each year since 1988; and if he will supply details for each campaign involving expenditures of over £10,000 of (a) the nature of the campaign, (b) the purpose of the campaign and (c) the results of any assessment of the success of the campaign.
Mr. David Hunt: The information is not available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Deformed Fish
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what records his Department keeps of the incidence and location of catches of fish with (a) skeletal deformities and (b) sores and lesions.
Mrs. Browning: No such records are kept.
Dioxin Monitoring
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what monitoring his Department carries out of sea birds, sea mammals, fish or shellfish for dioxin levels; and in what way the results are made available.
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Mrs. Browning: The Ministry has an extensive programme for monitoring dioxins in food which includes some samples of fish but not sea birds, sea mammals or shellfish. The results for fish were published in "Food Surveillance Paper No. 31", which is available in the Library. A further survey of sea fish will start later this year and the results will be published in the "Food Safety Information Bulletin."
Temporary Contracts
Ms Harman: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what guidance has been issued in respect of the recruitment and appointment of non permanent employees in (i) his Department and (ii) all executive agencies supervised by his Department.
Mr. Waldegrave [holding answer 15 March 1995]: All recruitment in my Department and its agencies is conducted in accordance with the Civil Service Order in Council 1991. Detailed guidance is given in the civil service management code which is available to all personnel staff.
Ms Harman: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the full terms of employment as specified to employees in his Department and all executive agencies for which he is responsible who are employed on a temporary contract of (a) 51 weeks or (b) less than 51 weeks' duration.
Mr. Waldegrave [holding answer 15 March 1995]: The terms of employment of all staff within the Department and its agencies who are on a temporary contract of up to 51 weeks are based on the guidance set out in Treasury general circular No. 375 issued on 30 April 1991.
Ms Harman: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what positions in (i) his Department and (ii) all executive agencies for which his Department is responsible are filled by employees who are employed on temporary contracts of (a) 51 weeks or (b) less than 51 weeks' duration.
Mr. Waldegrave [holding answer 15 March 1995]: Some casual staff occupy posts at EO level and above, but the vast majority are employed in the clerical and support grades.
Ms Harman: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fishers and Food how many employees in (i) his Department and (ii) all executive agencies supervised by his Department have been employed on temporary contracts of (a) 51 weeks or (b) less than 51 weeks' duration for this year and each of the last five years, in each case specifying what percentage of the respective total work force these employees constitute.
Mr. Waldegrave [holding answer 15 March 1995]: The total numbers of temporary workers on contracts of up to 51 weeks in my Department and its agencies for the years 1991 to 1995 are as follows:
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Percentage of total work force
|(Core-MAFF
|and
Year |Core-MAFF |Agencies |agencies)
-------------------------------------------------------
1991 |535 |79 |5.8
1992 |592 |84 |6.4
1993 |847 |314 |10.2
1994 |836 |290 |9.8
1995 |733 |310 |9.2
Ms Harman: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many people he expects to employ in (i) his Department and (ii) all executive agencies for which he is responsible on temporary contracts of (a) 51 weeks or (b) less than 51 weeks' duration in the next three years, in each case specifying the number of employees who had previously been employed in a similar position on the same contract.
Mr. Waldegrave [holding answer 15 March 1995]: Staff are employed on temporary contracts for a variety of reasons including to cover unexpected short-term requirements which cannot be forecast three years ahead. Therefore, only broad estimates are possible. My Department expects to employ around 1,000 people on contracts of up to 51 weeks over the next three years. The agencies are expected to employ some 300 such people. No estimates are possible of the number of those employees who would have previously been employed in a similar position on the same contract.
Ms Harman: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, for this year and each of the last five years, how many employees in (i) his Department and (ii) all executive agencies for which his Department is responsible who have been employed on temporary contracts of (a) 51 weeks or (b) less than 51 weeks' duration are re-employed in the same or similar position at a later date.
Mr. Waldegrave: The number of members of staff re-employed by my Department and its executive agencies under temporary contracts of up to 51 weeks in the years 1991 to 1995 is as follows:
Year |Core-MAFF|Agencies ---------------------------------------- 1991 |7 |0 1992 |16 |41 1993 |21 |50 1994 |28 |107 1995 |8 |57
Brucella Melitensis
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of brucella melitensis were reported in each year since 1985.
Mrs. Browning: None, there has never been a case of what is now recognised as brucella melitensis in England.
Milk
Mr. Steen: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations the Ministry has made to the European Commission on the fiche d'impact produced in relation to Council directive 94/71/EC regarding natural milk, heat-treated milk and milk-based products.
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Mr. Jack: The Commission did not produce a fiche d'impact in respect of directive 94/71 which amends and relaxes certain requirements of the milk hygiene directive--92/46. During the negotiations on directive 94/71, the Government pressed successfully for the easing of requirements in respect of somatic cell counts which would have imposed a heavy burden on the UK dairy industry.
Minced Meat
Mr. Steen: To ask the Minster of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has made to the European Commission on the fiche d'impact produced in relation to council directive 94/65/EC, regarding minced meat.
Mrs. Browning: The fiche d'impact with the Commission proposal for the minced meat directive in 1990 did not address industry costs. Despite requests for such information, none was produced. However, during the lengthy negotiations on this directive, the Government pressed consistently and largely successfully for requirements imposing unnecessary burdens on industry to be removed.
Fisheries Protection
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether Spanish warships sent to protect Spanish fishing vessels in the north Atlantic are in any way financed by the EEC or authorised to act on its behalf.
Mr. Jack: Fisheries protection and enforcement in international waters is the responsibility of the flag state. No EU finance is involved in providing fisheries protection.
North-west Atlantic Fisheries Organisation
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's membership of the North-west Atlantic Fisheries Organisation; whether the United Kingdom is represented at all meetings; and whether in decisions on catches and quotas the British representative gives British views or a view agreed with the EEC.
Mr. Jack: The European Union has been a contracting party to the convention on future multilateral co-operation in the north-west Atlantic fisheries since it came into force on 1 January 1979. The United Kingdom is represented at all NAFO meetings and voices British views and concerns within the EU delegation of which the Commission is the spokesman.
Mr. Philip Corrigan
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what references were obtained from the Australian Government's quarantine and inspection services in respect of Mr. Philip J. Corrigan before his appointment as head of operations of the Ministry's meat hygiene service; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Browning: Inquiries were made in the usual way about Mr. Corrigan before his appointment, including from his previous employer, the Australian quarantine and inspection service.
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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Western Sahara
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received from the United Nations about the movements of Moroccan settlers into the Western Sahara for the purpose of registering for the referendum.
Mr. Douglas Hogg: Security Council resolution 907 sets out the criteria which individuals must meet to become eligible to vote in the planned referendum. In particular, prospective voters must be able to show evidence of a link with the Western Sahara extending back to at least 1974. Settlers without such links are therefore excluded from the referendum. It is the responsibility of the UN Identification Commission to ensure that these provisions are complied with.
Cyprus
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Turkey as to the application by the Republic of Cyprus for membership of the European Union; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. David Davis: We maintain regular contacts with Turkey, both at ministerial and at official level. When I met Mr. Karayalchin, the Turkish Foreign Minister, on 2 February in London, Cyprus was one of several issues raised. Both Mrs. Ciller, the Turkish Prime Minister, and Mr. Karayalchin attended the EE/Turkey Association Council on 6 March. The application of Cyprus and EU membership also featured in those discussions.
Kashmir
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last spoke to the Indian Government about human rights in Indian-occupied Kashmir.
Mr. Baldry: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discussed the human rights situation in Kashmir with the Indian Government during his visit to India in January this year.
East Timor
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 6 December 1994, to the hon. Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn), Official Report, column 172 , what were the exact dates of visits to East Timor by diplomatic staff attached to the embassy in Jakarta in 1980, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994; and what factors determine the frequency of visits.
Mr. Goodlad: The information is as follows:
29 October 2 November 1980
26 30 November 1984
12 15 January 1988
13 16 February 1989
7 8 March 1989
8 15 October 1989
12 14 February 1991
24 28 September 1991
14 19 November 1991
28 April 2 May 1992
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3 7 March 199312 13 May 1993
20 22 May 1993
1 3 November 1993
24 26 January 1994
1 5 August 1994
18 20 September 1994
The month was incorrectly recorded as December in the Official Report, column 172.
A wide range of factors are taken into account in determining the frequency of visits to East Timor.
China
Mr. Dafis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action Her Majesty's Government propose to take in relation to the imprisonment by the Chinese authorities of Liu Gang, an Amnesty prisoner of conscience.
Mr. Goodlad: During my visit to China last July, a list of prisoners of concern to us was handed over to the Chinese authorities. This list included the case of Liu Gang. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary again raised the list with the Chinese Foreign Minister last September. We will continue to raise Liu Gang's case at every suitable opportunity.
Falkland Islands
Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the reasons for the delay in approval being given by the European Commission for the construction of an abattoir at Port Stanley, Falkland Islands to European Union standards.
Mr. David Davis: Approval of the release of Stabex funds for the construction of an abattoir at Stanley, Falkland Islands was held up by administrative problems in the European Commission. After further prompting by Her Majesty's Government the Commission has now approved the release of the funds for this project.
Overseas Premises
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the expenditure on all overseas premises for each year since 1979, broken down to show (a) expenditure on the construction or purchase of new premises, (b) expenditure on the refitting or upgrading of premises, (c) expenditure on the maintenance of existing buildings; and whether he will give details of the (1) location, (2) cost and (3) purpose of, any new premises opened abroad in each of the last five years, and those presently planned for the next five years.
Mr. Goodlad: The information requested is not immediately available. I shall write to the hon. Member with as comprehensive a reply as possible, bearing in mind that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office only became responsible for the overseas estate in 1983, as soon as it has been obtained.
Publicity and Publications
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total expenditure on (a) all forms of publicity and (b) all publications and pamphlets produced for his Department and for all the agencies and public bodies for which his
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Department is responsible for each year since 1979, including the budgeted figure for 1995 96, (i) including and (ii) excluding privatisation-related expenditures and expressed in 1994 prices; and if he will supply information for the period from 1 April 1993 to 1 March 1995 showing (1) the nature and (2) the purpose of each publicity campaign and of each publication involving the expenditure of more than £50,000.Mr. Goodlad: This information will take some time to compile. I shall write to the hon. Member shortly.
Former Prisoners of War
Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 14 March, Official Report, column 509 , what backing Her Majesty's ambassador in Tokyo gave to the case argued by former British prisoners of war of the Japanese when they visited Japan recently to claim compensation for their treatment and that of other Japanese prisoners in the second world war.
Mr. Goodlad: We gave assistance to the former British prisoners of war, through the British embassy in Tokyo, on the lines described in my answer of 14 March. The question of compensation, however, was in our view legally settled by the San Francisco peace treaty of 1951; so we are pursuing a different approach. As agreed between the Prime Minister and his Japanese counterpart in September 1993, we have been examining whether non- governmental measures could help. One such proposal--for a private sector foundation--turned out not
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to be feasible, but we are discussing with the Japanese Government possible alternatives.North-west Atlantic Fisheries Dispute
Mr. Shore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were the terms of the message communicated to the Government of Canada by the Committee of Permanent Representatives in Brussels on 13 March and whether he had been consulted before the message was sent.
Mr. Hurd: COREPER agreed on 13 March that clarificatory discussions should take place between the Commission and Canada in preparation for formal negotiations which could begin when the Canadian authorities had released the Spanish vessel Estai. This was in line with Her Majesty's Government's approach.
Our wider policy on the fisheries dispute between the EU and Canada was outlined in the reply given on 16 March 1995 to the hon. Member for South Dorset (Mr. Bruce) by the Minister of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for Grantham (Mr. Hogg), Official Report, columns 657 58. As he said, the United Kingdom has been using its position as a member of both the Commonwealth and the EU to promote solutions to the immediate difficulties and to contribute to an outcome in the longer term which is satisfactory to all.
The Canadian Government yesterday expressed their gratitude for the "very helpful role" which Her Majesty's Government had played in moves towards a resolution of this dispute.
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