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Primary Education
Ms Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to increase his Department's expenditure on primary education programmes. [221]
Mr. Hanley: Individual country aid strategies are agreed with the countries concerned, in accordance with their needs and priorities for United Kingdom assistance. The ODA's policy for support to education, formulated in 1994, lays emphasis on the provision of basic education, which includes primary education.
In the last year, major new projects to support primary education have been agreed with: Malawi, £7.3 million; Pakistan, £7.9 million; and India, £46 million.
Plans are currently being developed for further project support at the primary level in a number of countries. It is not possible to give exact levels of expenditure on primary education prior to their finalisation.
Gulf War Syndrome
Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Prime Minister what consideration he is giving to the recent findings of the Select Committee on Defence in regard to Gulf war syndrome; what action he is taking and if he will make a statement. [110]
The Prime Minister: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence will be considering the points made by the House of Commons Defence Committee very carefully and will reply formally in due course.
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Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Prime Minister what percentage of representations he has received on the French nuclear tests have supported the views of the Prime Minister and President Chirac. [349]
The Prime Minister:
I have received a substantial number of representations expressing a range of views.
Mr. Dafis:
To ask the Prime Minister who is responsible for co-ordinating Government policy concerning the future of the Stonehenge site. [376]
The Prime Minister:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for National Heritage.
Mr. Dafis:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a full statement of the conclusions reached at the Commonwealth Heads of Government conference regarding the situation of the Ogoni people and the death sentence on Mr. Saro-Wiwa. [985]
The Prime Minister:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Gravesham (Mr. Arnold) on 16 November, Official Report, columns 6-7.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the Acts of Parliament and consolidation Acts that affect local government that have been introduced by his Department since January 1994. [47]
The Prime Minister:
For these purposes my Office is part of the Cabinet Office (Office of Public Service). I refer the hon. Member to the reply given today by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
Mr. MacShane:
To ask the Prime Minister how many times in the last year he has used (a) London Buses and (b) London Underground while on official business. [375]
The Prime Minister:
I am not usually able to undertake such journeys.
Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Prime Minister what public records are held in respect of communications held between his predecessor and Mr. Mackenzie King, Prime Minister of Canada, about the marriage of the late Duke of Windsor; and if he will make a statement. [288]
The Prime Minister:
Communications that concern the marriage of the late Duke of Windsor took place between the then Prime Minister, Mr. Stanley Baldwin, and Mr. Mackenzie King in late 1936. Like all papers relating to the abdication, these are currently closed until 2037 by agreement between the then Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor in 1976. However, as with the generality of papers held for more than 30 years, these papers will be reviewed and, while it is expected that many will
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continue to to be sensitive for some time to come, it is not ruled out that it may be possible to release them earlier than 2037.
Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Prime Minister (1) what consideration led to the decision not to release to the Public Record Office certain papers relating to the conduct of the Duke of Windsor during the second world war, as indicated in his answer of 3 November, Official Report, column 478; [342]
(2) if copies of all communications this century between heads of state of other countries and the United Kingdom monarch are (a) lodged in the Public Record Office or (b) lodged exclusively in the royal archives; and whether all such documents are available for public inspection regardless of where they are lodged. [904]
The Prime Minister:
Documents held by Government Departments are released to the Public Record Office after 30 years in accordance with the Public Records Acts 1958 and 1967, unless they meet criteria which allow them, with the Lord Chancellor's approval, to be withheld for longer. These criteria, which apply equally to records relating to the royal family, were recently revised and are set out in the White Paper on open government, Command Paper 2290 published in July 1993. Records withheld for longer than 30 years under the earlier criteria are being re-reviewed in the light of the revised criteria.
Copies of communications belonging to the sovereign are lodged in the royal archives and access is a matter for the Keeper of the Royal Archives.
Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Prime Minister to what extent his duty to act as the principal adviser to the Queen extends also to the Prince and Princess of Wales. [434]
The Prime Minister:
Ministers may on occasions provide advice to other members of the royal family.
Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Prime Minister what communications or discussions he has had in the past year with Prime Ministers of those countries where Her Majesty the Queen is also head of state about matters relating to the monarchy. [431]
Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Prime Minister (1) if he will make it his policy to introduce legislation further amending the Regency Act 1937; [433]
(2) if he will make it his policy to introduce legislation to amend the Royal Marriages Act 1772; [432]
(3) if he will make it his policy to introduce legislation to permit (a) the monarch and (b) heirs to the throne, to contract a morganatic marriage. [287]
Closed Circuit Television
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to extend the provision of closed circuit television to communities in Scotland on a
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similar basis as the scheme presently operated in England; and if local authorities will be limited to asking for closed circuit television in respect of city or town centre locations. [341]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: My right hon. Friend announced last month that funding will be made available, starting in 1996-97, to extend the use of closed circuit television in Scottish communities. Details of the scheme will be announced later this year.
Trunk Road Programme
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give a starting date for work on (a) the A96 Kintore bypass and (b) the Keith, Blackburn and Tipperty bypasses. [340]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: My right hon. Friend will make clear his plans for the trunk road programme as soon as possible after the conclusions of this year's public expenditure survey.
HEALTH
NHS Supplies Authority
Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the report of the National Audit Office into the NHS supplies authority to be published. [203]
Mr. Sackville: Publication of this report is a matter for the Comptroller and Auditor-General.
Cervical Smear Tests
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Berkshire family health services authority with respect to the provision of NHS and private cervical smear tests by the Boundary House GP practice in Bracknell, Berkshire; what is his Department's policy on GPs advocating private cervical smear tests which can be provided more frequently than NHS cervical smear tests; and if he will make a statement. [93]
Mr. Sackville: None. Guidelines issued by the Department of Health say that women aged between 20 and 64 years should be invited for cervical screening at least every five years. Berkshire health commission is complying fully with these guidelines by ensuring the Boundary House GP practice provides cervical screening on a five-yearly basis. Where women request more frequent screening, GPs will provide information on where this is available.
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