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Algeria
Mr. Bill Michie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what changes in guidance have been given to the British embassy in Algeria regarding applications for political asylum. [3266]
Departmental Land
Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the land owned in the United Kingdom by his Department. [3027]
Mr. Hanley [holding answer 4 December 1995]: Land at 245 Warwick road, London W8--0.8 hectares. All other land administered by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office or in the process of disposal is held in the name of the Secretary of State for the Environment.
Mrs. Parveen Akhtar
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the hon. Member for Walsall, North will receive a reply to his letter of 6 November, ref. 20802/95. [4111]
Mr. Hanley: The hon. Member's letter of 6 November about Mrs. Parveen Akhtar in Pakistan was sent to the Home Office, rather than the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which would normally deal with correspondence of this type.
The Foreign Office received a copy of the letter on 1 December.
The Foreign Office migration and visa correspondence unit has asked our high commission in Islamabad for details of the case and will send the hon. Member a substantive reply by 8 December at the latest.
Mr. Rooker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what procedures are available for organisations working with children to gain access to the names of British citizens convicted of sexual offences against children in (a) European Union member states and (b) other countries. [3379]
Mr. Maclean:
I have been asked to reply.
Organisations working with children in the statutory sector and in parts of the voluntary and private sectors have access to pre-employment criminal record checks on their staff or volunteers. The check will reveal any record that the police may hold indicating that a person has been convicted of a sexual offence against children. This would include any information which had been received about overseas convictions of British citizens. Such information is often, but not always, supplied through Interpol by the authorities in the country of conviction.
5 Dec 1995 : Column: 160
Mr. Hayes:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many people were employed in the tobacco industry in the United Kingdom in (a) 1970, (b) 1975, (c) 1980, (d) 1985, (e) 1990 and (f) at the latest available date. [3982]
| Year | Thousands |
|---|---|
| 1971 | 34.1 |
| 1975 | 34.0 |
| 1981 | 29.9 |
| 1984 | 21.8 |
| 1989 | 11.5 |
| 1991 | 8.7 |
| 1993 | 8.0 |
Source: CSO Census of Employment. Note:
(5) Figures are as at June of each year for 1971 and 1975, and are as
at September of each year for 1981 to 1993.
Patent Office
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the contractors who have submitted a bid for the Patent Office accommodation services, dispatch, support services and filestore; if he will make a statement on the criteria to be used to determine whether such bids offer better value for money; and if he will make a statement. [3496]
Mr. Ian Taylor: None of the 12 contractors invited to tender has yet put in a bid for the Patent Office accommodation services, dispatch, support services and filestore. Under the timetable laid down by the EC services directive, bids are not required until early January 1996. The criteria to assess value for money have been sent out in the invitation to tender. They are:
quality of tenderers' proposal, commitment, monitoring and assurance procedures; tenderers' previous relevant experience; financial, commercial and technical capability; TUPE implications, such as proposals for the future of former civil service staff; recruitment, vetting and training procedures; conformance to Patent Office terms and conditions; overall price and pricing profile.
Mr. Taylor: No time scales have yet been set for these projects but the process is likely to be completed by autumn 1996. Up to 80 staff will be involved.
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy to require any new work undertaken by the Patent Office to be subject to consultation with trades unions regarding the implications for staff; and if he will make a statement. [3497]
5 Dec 1995 : Column: 161
Mr. Taylor: It would be the usual practice of Patent Office management to consult staff and their representatives about any new work undertaken by the agency which has major implications for the staff.
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what criteria will be used by Patent Office management to assess staff who have applied for voluntary redundancy; what number and grades will be involved; what time limits are applicable; and if he will make a statement about the future of the services currently offered by the Patent Office. [3498]
Mr. Taylor: Under the terms of its framework agreement, the Patent Office operates the Department's policies for retirement and redundancy. In its current voluntary severance exercise, the essential criterion has been the operational requirement of the office--whether there was a continuing need for a post now and in the foreseeable future and whether that post had to be filled by an established civil servant. Forty eight staff in the executive, clerical and support grades have accepted offers of voluntary severance. Sixteen appeals against refusal of severance terms are under consideration. Severance will take effect from 31 June 1996. The exercise is part of the Patent Office's continuing efforts to maintain and improve the efficiency and cost effectiveness of its service to customers.
Statutory Instruments
Mr. Steen: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many statutory instruments his Department sponsored in the last Session of Parliament; and how many of these (a) constituted a new rule or regulation, (b) were introduced to implement European Community directives and (c) amplify the minimum standards set out in an original European Community directive. [2465]
Mr. Oppenheim [holding answer 28 November 1995]: The Department of Trade and Industry sponsored 116 statutory instruments in the last Session of Parliament. It would be possible only at disproportionate cost to provide the further information requested, especially to identify from this total any cases in which the Government have acted on powers in the relevant EC legislation enabling member states to implement provisions going beyond the minimum standards set out in the directives. The Government's policy is, however, to ensure that implementing legislation imposes least cost and provides greatest certainty consistent with meeting our legal obligations.
Legislative Repeals
Mr. Steen: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what legislation from his Department passed in the last five years contains provision for statutory repeal or review. [2031]
Mr. Oppenheim [holding answer 27 November 1995]: The Coal Industry Act 1994 and the Gas Act 1995 contain provisions relating to the expiry of certain powers.
The Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994 introduced a new procedure for making deregulation orders to repeal or amend primary legislation where it imposes burdens which could be removed or reduced without removing necessary protection.
5 Dec 1995 : Column: 162
Mr. Eastham:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what final lump sum severance payment was paid to the chief executive of the Post Office on leaving that post. [2889]
Mr. Oppenheim
[holding answer 29 November 1995]: Mr. Cockburn, the former chief executive, received no severance pay on leaving the Post Office and waived any entitlement to salary in lieu of notice. However, he receives an annual pension under the rules of the Post Office staff pension fund--the Post Office staff superannuation scheme--which is based on his length of service, his age and his final salary. Under those rules he receives a lump sum payment equivalent to three times his annual pension. That lump sum payment was £285,542.
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