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Development Assistance
Miss Lestor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the aims and objectives of United Kingdom development assistance following the Overseas Development Administration's fundamental expenditure review. [8874]
Mr. Hanley: The ODA fundamental expenditure review reviewed the ODA's mission statement set out in its 1995 departmental report. It concluded that there was scope for greater clarity and focus about what the ODA should be seeking to achieve. As a consequence, the ODA has adopted the following revised mission statement:
"ODA's purpose is to improve the quality of life of people in poorer countries by contributing to sustainable development and reducing poverty and suffering.
To this end ODA will aim:
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- to encourage sound development policies, efficient markets and good government;
to help people achieve better education and health and to widen opportunities--particularly for women;
to enhance productive capacity and to conserve the environment; and
to promote international policies for sustainable development and enhance the effectiveness of multilateral development institutions."
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Civil Service Pension Scheme
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement in respect of the future principal civil service pension scheme. [9110]
Mr. Willetts: Occupational pensions for civil servants will continue to be provided through the principal civil service pension scheme.
Public Service Pensioners
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the pensions payable to public service pensioners in each of the years from 1979 covering grades from CA to assistant secretary, assuming the top of grade retiring salary, the award of pensionable performance pay and 30 years' service. [9111]
Mr. Willetts: This information is available only at disproportionate cost.
Executive Agencies
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what action heads of his Department's executive agencies are taking to safeguard the provision of pre-retirement courses; and if he will make a statement. [9142]
Mr. Willetts: My agency chief executives have no plans to change their arrangements for the provision of pre-retirement courses.
Open Government Code
Dr. Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the total cost to date of publicising (a) the citizens charters and (b) the open government code. [8557]
Mr. Willetts: To date, 40 main charters have been produced covering a wide range of public services. In addition, there are 8,000 local charters setting out the standards of service that users can expect. The cost of publicising charters is the responsibility of individual Departments and services. This information is not held centrally by my Department and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The total cost to date of specifically publicising the open government code is approximately £183,000.
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I gave additional details of the way in which the code has been publicised in my answer to the hon. Member on 9 January 1996, Official Report, column 121.
Mr. McMaster:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what guidance he intends to issue to (a) Departments, (b) executive agencies, (c) non-departmental public bodies and (d) outside bodies and arm's-length organisations which he has responsibility for, or an interest in, regarding the implementation of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995; and if he will make a statement. [9228]
Mr. Willetts:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 15 January by my hon. Friend the Minister for Social Security and Disabled People, Official Report, column 417. I will ensure that the Cabinet Office and those bodies for which it is responsible are made aware of their responsibilities under the Act.
Mr. Alan Williams:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list his engagements for Monday 18 December and for Tuesday 19 December 1995. [8609]
The Deputy Prime Minister:
On each day, I had a number of meetings with ministerial colleagues and others.
Executive Agencies
Dr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if answers sent to hon. Members in reply to parliamentary questions by the head of executive agencies in her Department are (a) seen, (b) approved and (c) amended by her before they are sent; and if she will identify such letters to which amendments by her have been made in 1994-95. [7837]
Mr. Sproat: Parliamentary questions are passed on to the head of an executive agency for reply when the matter is one delegated to him or her under the agency framework document. The relevant Minister may see a copy of the reply before it is sent, but would not normally intervene in operational matters. In 1994-95 no such replies were amended by Ministers.
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what action heads of all her Department's executive agencies are taking to protect pre-retirement courses in the event of such agencies seeking to make economies; and if she will make a statement. [9135]
Mr. Sproat: Neither the Historic Royal Palaces agency nor the Royal Parks agency has any plans to make economies by cutting the provision of pre-retirement training, which we consider to be an important step in preparing our staff for leaving full-time employment.
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Television Licences (Visually Impaired Persons)
Mr. Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when the visually impaired persons rebate on television licence costs was last reviewed; and what the rebate would now be if it had been increased in line with inflation since then. [8554]
Mr. Sproat: The reduction in the television licence fee for registered blind people used to be equivalent to the radio licence fee. The last increase was in 1965 and, since radio licences were abolished in 1971, the reduction in the television licence fee issued to blind people has remained at £1.25. If the reduction had increased with inflation from 1965 it would have risen to £12.65 by November 1995, based on latest available retail prices index figures. A specially adapted monitor which receives broadcast television signals in sound only is available from the Royal National Institute for the Blind. No licence is required to use such a monitor.
BBC World Arabic Service
Mr. Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will require the British Broadcasting Corporation to explain the circumstances in which the news broadcasters of the BBC World Arabic Service were interrupted during coverage of Her Majesty's Government's decision to deport Professor Mohammed al-Masari; and if she will make a statement. [8723]
Mr. Sproat: I understand that the BBC is investigating as a matter of urgency the circumstances surrounding the reported interruptions to BBC Worldwide's Arabic news service. This television service is a commercial venture and it is for the BBC to decide what action to take in the light of its findings.
Disability Discrimination Act 1995
Mr. McMaster: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what guidance she intends to issue to (a) Departments, (b) executive agencies, (c) non-departmental public bodies and (d) outside bodies and arm's-length organisations which she has responsibility for, or an interest in, regarding the implementation of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995; and if she will make a statement. [9233]
Mr. Sproat: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that my hon. Friend the Minister for Social Security and Disabled People gave on 15 January 1996, Official Report, column 417. I will ensure that my Department and any bodies for which it is responsible will be made aware of their responsibilities under the Act.
Works of Art
Mr. Faulds: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will list the allocations made to public institutions in the United Kingdom during the half-year ended 31 December 1995 of individual works of art and museum objects pre-eminent for national, scientific, historic or artistic interest which have been accepted in satisfaction of inheritance tax, together with information, where applicable, as to conditions or wishes expressed by testators or executors in the matter of allocation; and if she will list the works of art and museum objects which
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are still awaiting allocation, with the respective dates of their acceptance in satisfaction of inheritance tax. [9015]
Mr. Sproat: The information is as follows:
| Item | To whom allocated | Condition/wishes |
|---|---|---|
| Paintings by Joshua Reynolds | National Trust | Condition |
| Pair of George I Pier Glasses | National Trust | Condition |
| Chattels from Killerton | National Trust | Condition |
| Four works of Ben Nicholson and two works by Barbara Hepworth | Tate Gallery | Condition |
Mr. Faulds: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will list the items for which the issuing of export licences was withheld on the recommendation of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art during the half-year ended 31 December 1995, specifying in each case the valuation and whether an item was exported or retained, with particulars in the latter event of the acquiring institutions; and if she will list any items for which the licences have been withheld but the final disposal of which is not yet decided, specifying in each case (a) the valuation and (b) the relevant time limit. [9014]
Mr. Sproat: The information is as follows:
| Description of item | Valuation | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| £ | ||
| A painting "The Holy Family", by Giulio Romano, (c.1490-1546) | 1,720,320 | Export licence granted. |
| A George II open armchair, c.1727 | 325,000 | Export licence granted. |
| A pair of George II walnut side chairs, c.1731 | 446,363 | Export licence granted. |
| A pair of George II open armchairs, 1740 | 202,912.50 | Export licence granted. |
| A painting "Judith with the Head of Holofernes" by Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1530 | 314,662.50 | Acquired by the Burrell Collection, Glasgow. |
| A court dress or mantua of ivory silk damask, c.1755 | 78,826 | Acquired by the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection of the Historic Royal Palaces, Hampton Court. |
| The Coronation Bible of George III, c.1761 | 350,000 | Export licence granted. |
| The frame of the Coronation Crown of George IV, 1821 | 376,000 | Export licence application withdrawn. |
| The frame of the Coronation Crown of Queen Adelaide, 1831 | 425,000 | Export licence application withdrawn. |
| The frame of the Imperial State Crown of George I, 1715 | 576,000 | Export licence application withdrawn. |
| A painting "La Lecture de Moliere" by Jean Francois de Troy | 4,497,672 | Purchased by a UK buyer. |
| A Celtic buckle from a chariot horse harness, c.1st century A.D. | 2,940.63 | Acquired by the Kings Lynn Museum. |
| Three letter-books and a diary of Sir William Boothby (1639-1706) | 32,500 | Acquired by the British Library. |
| A drawing "Landscape with Boats on a River and Merchandise on the Shore" by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, called II Guercino (1591-1666) | 70,000 | Export licence granted. |
| An Anglo-Indian lacquer commode, c.1770--1780 | 49,000 | Export licence application withdrawn, |
| A painting "The Holy Family with the Infant St. John" by Fra Bartolommeo (1472-1517) | 14,000,000 | Decision deferred until after 8 May 1996. |
| A painting "Lord Willoughby de Broke and his family at Breakfast" by Johan Zoffany, c.1766 | 3,500,000 | Decision deferred until after 5 February 1996. |
| A lady's secretary by Thomas Chippendale (1718-1779) | 570,000 | Decision deferred until after 5 February 1996. |
| An archive of manuscripts relating to the editing of "Principia Mathematica" by Sir Isaac Newton c.1726 | 400,000 | Decision deferred until after 5 February 1996. |
| A collection of architectural drawings for Trentham Hall signed or annotated by Sir Charles Barry and others, 1834-1914 | 75,820 | Decision deferred until after 5 February 1996. |
16 Jan 1996 : Column: 510
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