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LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Private Finance Initiative

Mr. Boateng: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department from whom his Department is seeking legal advice in relation to private finance initiative schemes. [1657]

Mr. John M. Taylor: Masons solicitors are advising the Court Service on contractual issues surrounding the local county court procurement project. No other current Departmental procurements have obtained such support.

Mr. Coe: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the MORI Survey, "Public Attitudes to Marriage, Divorce and Family Mediation," will be made available in full. [3235]

Mr. Taylor: The survey was conducted as part of the detailed process of consultation on the divorce reform proposals. The results of the survey were considered in the White Paper, "Looking to the Future-Mediation and the Ground for Divorce," Cm 2799, published in April this year, and were included in the summary of the

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consultation analysis published at the same time. The survey has been made available in full today, and copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Mr. Boateng: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the estimated cost of the legal advice his Department is seeking in relation to private finance initiative schemes; and on what terms that advice is being sought. [1658]

Mr. John M. Taylor: Legal advice to the local county court--LOCCS procurement project is likely to cost up to £25,000. The contract with Masons is subject to normal departmental terms and conditions.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Nuclear Testing

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the United Kingdom ambassador to the United Nations voted on the draft resolution in committee on 17 November concerning proposals to oppose nuclear testing; what consideration underlay the vote; and if he will list the nations which voted with the United Kingdom on the draft resolution. [2735]

Mr. David Davis: The United Kingdom voted against the resolution. We do not believe that the current testing programmes are inconsistent with commitments made by the nuclear weapon states at the non-proliferation treaty review and extension conference. We have made clear that it would be hypocritical and wrong for us to condemn the French decision to undertake a final limited series of tests, based on scientific advice that these tests are necessary to preserve the safety and reliability of French nuclear weapons. We regret that the resolution failed to mention either the good progress made towards achieving a comprehensive test ban treaty, or the commitment of all five nuclear weapon states to conclude these negotiations no later than 1996. Eleven other countries voted with the United Kingdom; 45 abstained and 33 did not take part in the vote. The full list of votes has been placed in the Library of the House.

Gibraltar

Mr. Jopling: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what extra equipment has been purchased recently for the Royal Gibraltar police to combat drugs and tobacco smuggling. [2666]

Mr. David Davis: Equipment provided to the Royal Gibraltar police over the last 12 months to combat drugs and tobacco smuggling includes technical equipment, vehicles and spares, computer equipment, a fast patrol launch and night vision goggles.

Mr. Jopling: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were the reasons for the early termination of the contract of the Gibraltar Attorney-General. [2569]

Mr. Davis: Mr. Blackburn-Gittings, former Attorney- General of Gibraltar, decided to resign because a difference of views arose between himself and the governor.

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EU Commissioners (Earnings)

Mr. Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the rules covering outside earnings and the public disclosure of income for members of the Commission of the European Communities. [2729]

Mr. David Davis: Article 157 of the European Community treaty states that the members of the Commission may not, during their term of office, engage in any other occupation, whether gainful or not.

International Peacekeeping

Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received regarding international peacekeeping efforts; and if he will make a statement. [827]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor: The United Kingdom is in constant dialogue with the United Nations, and other international organisations, on a wide range of peacekeeping issues. As the second largest troop contributor to the United Nations peacekeeping operations, with troops in four separate missions, we continue to take an active part in discussions to develop international peacekeeping capabilities.

BBC World Service

Miss Emma Nicholson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans there are for funding the BBC World Service in the last year of the current triennium. [3095]

Mr. Hanley: My right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary will write to the hon. Member immediately after the Budget statement.

International Sanctions

Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken and on what dates, to freeze the personal accounts or assets of members of regimes with whom the United Kingdom are in dispute as part of a national or international sanctions policy. [2565]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor [holding answer 27 November 1995]: The United Kingdom has no unilateral sanctions in place against the assets or personal accounts of foreign regimes. However, we do implement the mandatory financial sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council. Such financial sanctions are in place against Iraq, in UNSCR 661 adopted on 6 August 1990, and against Libya in UNSCR 863 adopted on 11 November 1993.

The financial sanctions imposed on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in UNSCRs 757 and 820 adopted on 30 May 1992 and 17 April 1993, respectively were suspended with immediate effect by UNSCR 1022 adopted on 22 November, with the exception that certain assets frozen or impounded by UNSCRs 757 and 820 shall remain frozen or impounded. A copy of UNSCR 1022 is available in the Library of the House.

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AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy

Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is satisfied with the existing measures to ensure that specified bovine offals do not enter the human food chain. [3372]

Mr. Douglas Hogg: The controls in place require the specified bovine offals, the potentially BSE infected tissues, to be removed from all cattle at slaughter and be destroyed. These controls are kept under continual review. The independent spongiform encephalopathy advisory committee again looked at all the controls to protect public health from any remote theoretical risk from BSE at its meeting on 23 November. It concluded:

"Earlier in 1995 SEAC had concluded that 'provided in the slaughtering process the removal of the spinal cord was done properly, the mechanically recovered meat (MRM) process was safe and there was no reason for the Committee to change its advice'.
In the light of the current audit reports [reported to Parliament in my answer to the hon. Member for Scarborough (Mr. Sykes) on 22 November (Official Record columns 192-193)] showing failure to remove parts of the spinal cord in a small number of carcases the Committee expressed its grave concern.
It noted the further tightening up of controls but felt that unless and until it was clear that the removal of SBO, particularly spinal cord, was now being undertaken properly in all cases it would be prudent, as a precaution, to suspend the use of vertebrae from cattle aged over six months, in the production of MRM."

Taking account of practical considerations, I have decided to make regulations which would prohibit the use of bovine vertebral column from cattle of any age in mechanically recovered meat. Most MRM is made from poultry, pig and sheep meat and the committee therefore made no recommendation for any other action in respect of products containing MRM. The committee also reiterated its advice that beef, including cuts such as rib of beef and T-bone steak that include backbone, was a safe product.

I must emphasise that these, like all our controls on BSE, are precautionary measures and that there is no evidence of a link between BSE and the human disease Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Research and Development

Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were the indicative contributions to the EU budget in respect of research and development for his Department in 1993-94. [1910]

Mr. Boswell: Table 2.1 of the statistical supplement to the "Forward Look of Government-funded Science, Engineering and Technology" contains indicative figures for the United Kingdom's contributions to the EC budget in respect of research and development. Departments' policy responsibilities are subject to change and can vary from year to year. My Department currently has responsibility for 3.93 per cent. of the Community's R and D budget.

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