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Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 8 November 1995

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Government Centre for Information Systems

Mr. Patrick Thompson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will outline his proposals for the future of the CCTA, the Government Centre for Information Systems.     [42350]

Mr. Freeman: The CCTA offers an advisory service to Departments on the procurement of information technology and information systems, on which Government spend over £2 billion a year. But it does not have a sufficiently central place to influence and co-ordinate the strategy of Government in relation to information systems so as to ensure that the latest technology is harnessed to improve co-ordination across Government and the effective delivery of services to the public. I therefore propose to establish a small central unit in the Office of Public Service designed to secure a strategic approach to IT across Government. It will be known as the central IT unit, and will work in close co-operation with the DTI, which is the sponsoring Department for the industry. It is expected to comprise no more than eight to 10 people drawn from the private and public sector. The unit will report through me to the Deputy Prime Minister.

At the same time, the existing CCTA will concentrate on providing intelligent customer support on IT issues to Departments and agencies which so wish to be advised and on a full repayment basis. We shall be consulting customers and staff about the appropriate status and role for CCTA and considering whether there is scope for more private sector involvement in its ownership and management. I intend to make a more detailed announcement in due course.

Executive Agencies

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 30 October, Official Report , columns 7-10 , on next steps agencies what estimates he has made of the proportion of civil servants working in next steps agencies in (a) April 1996 and (b) April 1997.

The Deputy Prime Minister: The next steps programme is on course towards the Government's expectation that it will cover about three quarters of the civil service as a whole. Projecting proportionate coverage is uncertain because decisions on whether to establish candidate functions as agencies and the exact timing of the launch have yet to be made and will depend on a variety of

considerations--and because the overall numbers of civil servants continue to fall.


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However, taking our current indications of potential launches in April 1996 and adding their current staffing into the proportions I gave for 1 April 1995 in my report of 30 October would produce the following figures:


1995 including possible April 1996 launches                                     

                                                            |Per cent.          

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

Indicative projection of Home civil servants working on                         

  Next Steps lines on 1 April                               |70                 

                                                                                

Indicative projection of civil servants in Northern Ireland                     

  working on Next Steps lines on 1 April                    |72                 

Thereafter and on the same basis, I estimate that these proportions would rise to 75 per cent. and 78 per cent. respectively on the assumption that all functions currently under consideration were launched as agencies, mostly by April 1997.

Civil Service

Ms Jowell: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will update table 8 of the Cabinet Office publication "10 Years Progress Report" on promotion rates in the administration group to include 1994 95 and extend the table to take in the higher executive grades of the service to grade 2 for the years 1991 92, 1992 93, 1993 94 and 1994 95 for men and women.     [41749]

Mr. Horam: An up-dated table will appear in the data summary on equal opportunities in the civil service in 1994 5. This will be produced early in the new year, and copies will be laid in both Libraries of the House. There are no plans, however, to extend the table to the highest grades, as the numbers involved are too small to show meaningful trends.

Ms Jowell: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will update table 1 of the Cabinet Office publication "10 Years Progress Report" on women's grade levels in the non-industrial home civil service at 1 April to include 1994 95.     [41750]

Mr. Horam: An updated table will appear in the data summary on equal opportunities in the civil service in 1994 95. This will be produced early in the new year, and copies will be laid in both Libraries of the House. I also refer the hon. Member to figure 18 and table 4a in "Civil Service Statistics 1995"--placed in the House of Commons Library on 31 October 1995 --about the proportion of women at key grade levels and occupational groups.

Outside Consultants

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the projects undertaken since 1992 by the Office of Public Service where outside consultants have been employed; and if he will list the contract fee and consultant in each case.     [39831]

Mr. Freeman: The details of individual consultancy contracts let by the Office of Public Service and its agencies where outside consultants may have been used in some part of the contract are not held centrally in the form requested. The full information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.


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However, the costs of external consultancy contracts let by the Office of Public Service and its agencies in the last two completed financial years are as follows:


Year      |£                  

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

1993-94   |5,697,880          

1994-95   |5,832,044          

The greater part of these totals was consultancy to CCTA, the Government Centre for Information Systems, mainly for the benefit of other Departments.

Charter Mark

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list those organisations which have unsuccessfully applied for a charter mark.     [42169]

Mr. Horam: Applications for a charter mark are confidential. We publicise only the names of the winners and those who are highly commended. These we will announce at the charter mark awards ceremony on 4 December.

We do not disclose the names of unsuccessful applicants. It is for those organisations to decide for themselves whether to publicise the fact that they have applied.

Scott Inquiry

Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many persons in the Deputy Prime Minister's office and in the Office of Public Service are on the public payroll or employed as consultants or advisers and work on a part-time or full-time basis in relation to the Scott inquiry; if he will list their names; and how much each is paid.     [42055]

The Deputy Prime Minister: There are no staff within my private office and the Office of Public Service employed on matters relating to the Scott inquiry on a full-time or part-time basis, although some will inevitably be involved from time to time. There are also no external consultants or advisers employed on such matters by my private office or the Office of Public Service. It is not the practice to name staff or external advisers.

Parliamentary Candidates

Mr. MacShane: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what rules govern parliamentary candidatures for senior Crown servants.     [40900]

Mr. Freeman: Section 1 of the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 disqualifies for membership of the House of Commons any person employed in the civil service of the Crown, or any member of the regular armed forces of the Crown. Civil servants, except those in industrial and non-office grades, must resign from the civil service on their formal adoption as a parliamentary candidate. Industrial and non-office grade civil servants must resign before they give their consent to nomination in accordance with the parliamentary election rules.


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Deregulation Task Force

Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many staff have been employed on the deregulation task force; and what is the total estimated cost of its operations since it was established.     [42031]

Mr. Freeman: The deregulation task force is assisted by three staff in the deregulation unit of the Cabinet Office, who provide administrative support. Its members are not paid, but they receive travel and subsistence expenses.

Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many committees and sub-committees of the deregulation task force have been established since its inception; and how many reports have been produced by them.     [42030]

Mr. Freeman: There have been 10 ad hoc working groups since the inception of the deregulation task force, of which some have included non- task force members. The task force has produced two reports: "The Charities and Voluntary Organisations Report", which was published in July; and the task force's first annual report, which was published in September. Copies of both reports have been placed in the Library of the House.

Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many of the 870 regulations identified by the deregulation task force were introduced since 1979.     [42029]

Mr. Freeman: The 870 recommendations were made by Lord Sainsbury's eight deregulation task forces and published in 1994. The recommendations did not just identify regulations but covered other areas, such as enforcement. It would involve disproportionate cost to identify how many of the regulations on which the task force made recommendations were introduced since 1979. The text of the recommendations and the commentary on the progress made in implementing them has been placed in the Library of the House.

Specialist Advisers

Mr. Bayley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) specialist advisers and (b) press or public relations officers are employed by his office; and what is the total annual salary bill for (a) and (b) above.     [42310]

The Deputy Prime Minister: I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and place a copy of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

Mr. Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many (a) specialist advisers and (b) press or public relations officers are employed by his Department; and what is the total annual salary bill for (a) and (b) above.     [42311]

Mr. Freeman: I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and place a copy of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

Information and Planning Systems

Mr. Allen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what consideration the Prime Minister's advisor on efficiency has given to the management of information and planning systems report of May 1995;     [42335]


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(2) if he will list all Government Departments and agencies, specifying the precise steps being taken to ensure that their information and planning systems are up to the level of the best.     [42334]

Mr. Horam: I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and place a copy of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Ministerial Transport

Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the cost of ministerial transport in each of the past five years; what allowance has been paid to ministers who use their own vehicles; and what has been the cost in each of the past five years.     [40740]

Mr. Hanley: Transport for FCO Ministers is provided by the Government car service. Payments over the last five years were as follows:


Year    |£              

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

1990-91 |220,688        

1991-92 |238,343        

1992-93 |330,096        

1993-94 |342,732        

1994-95 |342,732        

The figures above represent the cost of the agreed options and do not include VAT. The Government car service says that it has not been possible to calculate the outside option charges or the despatch charges in the time given.

Ministers who use their own vehicles on official business may claim a private car allowance, now 37p per mile.

Details of claims are as follows:


Year                     |£                                                

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

1990-91                  |No information available                         

1991-92                  |No claims received                               

1992-93                  |364                                              

1993-94                  |2,762                                            

1994-95                  |No claims received                               

Official Cars

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will specify the make and model of the official car used by each British High commissioner and ambassador serving overseas as of 21 October.     [41771]

Mr. Hanley: A detailed list follows.


List of all embassies and High Commissions                              

together with their flag cars                                           

                        |Model                                          

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

Abidjan                 |Jaguar SOV                                     

Abu Dhabi               |Jaguar XJ6                                     

Accra                   |LR Discovery                                   

Addis Ababa             |Rover 825 SLD                                  

Algiers                 |Range Rover                                    

Almaty                  |Volvo 850                                      

Amman                   |LR Discovery                                   

Ankara                  |Rover 825                                      

Antananarivo            |LR Discovery                                   

Asuncion                |JAG Daimler                                    

Athens                  |Jaguar XJ6                                     

Bahrain                 |Jaguar XJ6                                     

Baku                    |LR Discovery                                   

Bandar Seri Begawan     |Rover 827                                      

Bankok                  |Daimler Limo                                   

Banjul                  |Range Rover                                    

Beirut                  |Jaguar SOV                                     

Belgrade                |Jaguar XJ6                                     

Belmopan                |LR Discovery                                   

Berne                   |Rover 827                                      

Bogota                  |Range Rover                                    

Bonn                    |Rolls-Royce Silver Spur                        

Brasilia                |Rolls-Royce Silver Spur                        

Bratislava              |LR Discovery                                   

Bridgetown              |Rover 825                                      

Brussels                |Jaguar SOV                                     

Bucharest               |Volvo 960                                      

Budapest                |Rover 827                                      

Buenos Aires            |Rover 825 SD                                   

Cairo                   |Rover 825                                      

Canberra                |Rolls-Royce Silver Spur                        

Caracas                 |Ford Grand Marquis                             

Castries                |LR Discovery                                   

Colombo                 |Range Rover                                    

Copenhagen              |Jaguar XJ6                                     

Dakar                   |Rover 825                                      

Damascus                |Jaguar XJ6                                     

Dar Es Salaam           |LR Discovery                                   

Dhaka                   |Daimler Limo                                   

Doha                    |Rover 827                                      

Dubai                   |Rover 827                                      

Dublin                  |Rover 827                                      

Freetown                |LR Discovery                                   

Gaborone                |LR Discovery                                   

Georgetown              |Range Rover                                    

Guatemala City          |Range Rover                                    

Hanoi                   |Rover 825                                      

Harare                  |Jaguar XJ6                                     

Havana                  |Jaguar SOV                                     

Helsinki                |Jaguar XJ6                                     

Ho Chi Minh City        |LR Discovery                                   

Holy See                |Rover 827                                      

Honiara                 |LR Discovery                                   

Islamabad               |Daimler Limo                                   

Jakarta                 |Range Rover                                    

Kampala                 |LR Discovery                                   

Kathmandu               |Range Rover                                    

Khartoum                |LR Discovery                                   

Kiev                    |Rover 825 SLD                                  

Kingston                |Rover 827                                      

Kingstown               |LR Discovery                                   

Kinshasa                |Range Rover                                    

Kuala Lumpur            |Jaguar Sov                                     

Kuwait                  |Jaguar Sov                                     

Lagos                   |Range Rover                                    

La Paz                  |LR Discovery                                   

Lilongwe                |Rover 825                                      

Lima                    |Range Rover                                    

Lisbon                  |Rover 827                                      

Ljubljana               |Rover 820                                      

Luanda                  |Range Rover                                    

Lusaka                  |LR Discovery                                   

Luxembourg              |Rover 827                                      

Managua                 |Range Rover                                    

Manila                  |Range Rover                                    

Maputo                  |Jaguar Sov                                     

Maseru                  |LR Discovery                                   

Mbabane                 |LR Discovery                                   

Mexico City             |Cadillac de Ville                              

Minsk                   |LR Discovery                                   

Montevideo              |Rover 820                                      

Moscow                  |Range Rover                                    

Muscat                  |Jaguar XJ6                                     

Nairobi                 |Rover 825                                      

Nassau                  |Rover 827                                      

New Delhi               |Rolls-Royce Silver Spur                        

Nicosia                 |Jaguar V12                                     

Nuku'Alofa              |Range Rover                                    

Oslo                    |Jaguar XJ6                                     

Ottawa                  |Jaguar XJ6                                     

Panama                  |Rover 827                                      

Paris                   |Rolls-Royce Silver Spur                        

Peking                  |Rolls Royce Silver Spur                        

Phnom Penh              |Range Rover                                    

Port Louis              |Rover 825                                      

Port Moresby            |LR Discovery                                   

Port of Spain           |Range Rover                                    

Prague                  |Rover 827                                      

Quito                   |Jaguar V12                                     

Rabat                   |LR Discovery                                   

Rangoon                 |Rover 825                                      

Reykjavik               |LR Discovery                                   

Riga                    |LR Discovery                                   

Riyadh                  |Rolls-Royce Silver Spur                        

Rome                    |Rover 827                                      

San Jose                |Jaguar V12                                     

San Salvador            |Range Rover                                    

Sanaa                   |Range Rover                                    

Santiago                |Rover 827                                      

Sarajevo                |LR Defender 110                                

Seoul                   |Jaguar XJ6                                     

Singapore               |Daimler Limo                                   

Skopje                  |LR Discovery                                   

Sofia                   |Jaguar V12                                     

St. George's            |LR Discovery                                   

St. John's              |LR Discovery                                   

Stockholm               |Daimler Limo                                   

Suva                    |LR Discovery                                   

Tallin                  |LR Discovery                                   

Tashkent                |LR Discovery                                   

Tegucigalpa             |Range Rover                                    

Tehran                  |Rover 820                                      

Tel Aviv                |Rover 827                                      

The Hague               |Rover 827                                      

Tirana                  |LR Discovery                                   

Tokyo                   |Rolls-Royce Silver Spur                        

Tripoli                 |Range Rover                                    

Tunis                   |Jaguar Sov                                     

Ulaanbaatar             |LR Discovery                                   

Valletta                |Rover 827                                      

Victoria                |Peugeot 605                                    

Vienna                  |Rover 827                                      

Vila                    |Range Rover                                    

Vilnius                 |Volvo 850 GLE                                  

Warsaw                  |Rover 827                                      

Washington              |Rolls-Royce Silver Spur                        

Wellington              |Jaguar Sov                                     

Windhoek                |LR Discovery                                   

Yaounde                 |Rover 820 SLI                                  

Zagreb                  |Rover 827                                      

Specialist Advisers

Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) specialist advisers and (b) press or public relations officers are employed by his Department; and what is the total annual salary bill for (a) and (b) above.     [42315]


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Mr. Hanley: I shall write to the hon. Gentleman shortly.

Fraud

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total number of cases of all forms of fraud committed by employees of his (a) Department, (b) agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies for each year from 1991 92 to 1994 95; and for each of these years, what was the total monetary sum (1) misappropriated in such frauds and (2) subsequently recovered.     [39128]

Mr. Hanley [holding answer 24 October 1995]: The answer is as follows:

1991 1992:

Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO): One fraud valued at £19, 206. No recoveries.

Overseas Development Administration (ODA): Two frauds valued at £2,400. No recoveries.

Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC): One fraud valued at £17,100. No recoveries.

British Council: Eight frauds valued at £26,881. £2,957 recovered.

1992 93

FCO: Nil

ODA: Nil

British Council: Eight frauds valued at £585,377. £30,100 recovered.

CDC: One fraud valued at £58,000. No recoveries.

1993 94

FCO: Four frauds valued at £13,479. £4,000 recovered.

ODA: Nil

British Council: Nine frauds valued at £168,718. £99,994 recovered.

1994 95

FCO: Five frauds valued at £79,283. £6,338 recovered to date. ODA: One fraud valued at £5,000. No recoveries.

National Resources Institute (NRI): One fraud valued at £4,200. No recoveries.

British Council: Seven frauds valued at £68,246. £2,052 recovered.

Vigorous action for recovery and restitution continues.

European Parliament (Subsidised Visits)

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much the European Parliament spent on subsidising the visit of parties of visitors organised by Members of the European Parliament to it for each financial year since 1983 84; how many visits were subsidised; how many visitors were covered by these payments; and what representations the British Government has made to the European Union about these arrangements.     [39407]

Mr. David Davis [holding answer 26 October 1995]: The European Parliament annual budget for inward visits was 7.82 million ecu from 1992 to 1994, and 7.88 million ecu in 1995. The EP advises that it subsidised 3,218 and 3,463 group visits to EP sites in 1992 and 1993 respectively, and 1,223 visits to the EP in Brussels in 1994--figures for 1994 are not available for visits to


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EP sites in Luxembourg and Strasbourg. Corresponding figures for 1983 to 1991, and for the total number of visitors subsidised, are not available. The EP sets its own administrative budget, within the limits agreed by the Council. The European Court of Auditors examines the expenditure of the EP and publishes its findings in its annual report.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Work-related Death and Illness

Mr. Robert McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what published statistics underlie the Northern Ireland Information Service press statement of 29 September on work-related deaths and illness.     [40888]

Mr. Moss: I shall write to the hon. Gentleman as soon as possible.

Deregulation

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what regulations his Department proposes to repeal by the end of 1995; if he proposes to conduct a compliance cost assessment on each regulation repealed; and what is the estimated cost of undertaking a compliance cost assessment to assess the advantages or disadvantages of such a repeal;     [41551]

(2) if he will list the rules and regulations he proposes to repeal or amend by means of a reference to the Deregulation Committee before the end of 1995; and if he will make a statement.     [41525]

(3) what is the estimated saving to the Exchequer by the repeal of each rule and regulation which has been the subject of a reference to the Deregulation Committee from his Department; and on how many cases a compliance cost assessment has been carried out.     [41526]

Mr. Ancram: I shall write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

Export Marketing Research Scheme

Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many businesses in Northern Ireland will now be eligible for help from the export marketing research scheme.     [41910]

Sir John Wheeler: Over 4,300 manufacturing businesses in Northern Ireland are eligible for assistance under the export marketing research scheme. Information on the number of tradeable services companies which would be eligible for the scheme is not available.

Making It Back Home Scheme

Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications are currently under consideration for the making it back home scheme.     [41897]

Sir John Wheeler: To date, the Local Enterprise Development Unit has received approximately 1,000 expressions of interest and is currently processing 40 live applications.


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It is estimated that approximately 10 per cent, of the expressions of interest and approximately 66 per cent. of applications currently being processed will become firm projects.

New Jobs

Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many new jobs, created in each of the past 10 years with the assistance of LEDU, were located in (a) the borough of Ards, (b) the borough the Castlereagh and (c) district of Down.     [41907]

Mr. Ancram: My noble Friend will write to the right hon.Gentleman as possible.

Newcastle Orange Hall (Attack)

Mr. Robert McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the reason for the delay in the issue of the Chief Constable's certificate, relating to the attack on Newcastle Orange hall.     [42086]

Sir John Wheeler: The Chief Constable's certificate in respect of the attack on Newcastle Orange hall was issued as soon as the Chief Constable was able to form the opinion that the act was committed maliciously by a person acting on behalf of, or in connection with, an unlawful association.

Terrorist Campaigns (Unsolved Deaths)

Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many deaths, arising from the terrorist campaigns by Republicans and Loyalists, remain unsolved; and if he will make a statement.     [42139]

Sir John Wheeler: I will write to the right hon. Gentleman as soon as possible.

Specialist Advisers

Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) specialist advisers and (b) press or public relations officers are employed by his Department; and what is the total annual salary bill for (a) and (b) above.     [42321]

Sir John Wheeler: I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Specialist Advisers

Mr. Bayley: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many (a) specialist advisers and (b) press or public relations officers are employed by his Department; and what is the total annual salary bill for (a) and (b) above.     [42319]

Mr. John M. Taylor: Unfortunately, in the time available, it is not possible to answer this question. I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

Divorce

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the timetable for divorce (a) proposed for the United


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Kingdom and (b) currently applicable in other EU

countries.     [42159]

Mr. John M. Taylor: The White Paper proposal is that the minimum waiting period before a divorce decree can be applied for should be 12 months, provided arrangements for children, and financial and property matters have been decided.

The information requested about other European Union member states is currently being updated. I shall write to the hon. Member.

Kidderminster Court

Mr. Anthony Coombs: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the Government expect a start date for work to start on the new Kidderminster court complex.     [42330]


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Mr. John M. Taylor: Unfortunately, in the time available, it is not possible to answer this question. I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.


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