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UN Aid Target

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to increase Her Majesty's Government spending on overseas aid to the UN target of 0.7 per cent. of gross national product. [11984]

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Mr. Hanley: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Eccles (Miss Lestor) on 19 January, Official Report, column 787.

Nepal

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made

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of the future of his Department's funding for the Lumle agricultural research centre in Nepal; and what plans he has for aid to Nepal in research into disease-resistant crops such as peas, cold tolerant rice and broad leaf mustard. [11735]

Mr. Hanley: The Government will decide later this year on the extent and nature of further aid support for hill agricultural research in Nepal, including the Lumle

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agricultural research centre, in the light of progress on the present foundation year project.

Research into disease-resistant crops is an important component of current British aid to agricultural research in Nepal. The Lumle agricultural research centre has already successfully produced a cold-tolerant variety of rice, and research into disease resistant tomatoes, wheat, rice, potatoes and maize is currently being undertaken.

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TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Minimum Wage

Mr. MacShane: To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 17 January 1995, Official Report, column 628, if he will list the research mentioned in his reply. [11808]

Mr. Lang: Among the studies considered are the following:



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Positive about Disabled People Symbol

Mr. Barnes: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list for his Department and each of the agencies for which he is responsible if it uses the Employment Service's positive about disabled people symbol for (a) external recruitment and (b) internal recruitment and promotion. [11919]

Mr. John M. Taylor: The DTI does not use the symbol for external or internal recruitment, or for promotion. However, it is kept under review as the Department develops its programme of action on staff with disabilities.

I have asked the chief executives of the DTI's agencies to write to the hon. Member direct.

Letter from Jim Norton to Mr. Harry Barnes, dated 29 January 1996:


Letter from Seton Bennett to Mr. Harry Barnes, dated 29 January 1996:



    The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory to your question and about use of the Employment Service's Positive about Disabled People symbol. This Agency does not currently make use of this symbol.

Letter from R. D. Worswick to Mr. Harry Barnes, dated 25 January 1996:



    The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply to your question on behalf of the Laboratory of the Government Chemist, an executive agency of DTI.
    The Laboratory does not use the Employment Service's Positive about Disabled People symbol for either a) external recruitment or b) internal recruitment and promotion.
    However, recruitment advertisements contain a statement that LGC is an equal opportunities employer whether directed at external or internal applicants.

Letter from David Durham to Mr. Harry Barnes, dated 29 January 1996:


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Letter from Peter Joyce to Mr. Harry Barnes, dated 29 January 1996:



    The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply to your question about using the Employment Service's Positive about Disabled People symbol.
    The Insolvency Service does not currently use the symbol for either external recruitment or internal recruitment and promotion. However following discussions with the Employment Service, it is in the process of applying for permission to use it on all its recruitment, promotion and training literature.

Letter from P. R. S. Hartnack to Mr. Harry Barnes, dated 29 January 1996:



    I am replying for the Patent Office to your Parliamentary Question to the President of the Board of Trade about use of the Employment Service's Positive about Disabled People symbol. In recent external recruitment exercises we have used either the symbol, or text making it clear that we welcome applications from those with disabilities. In internal recruitment or promotion we rely on a statement of our Equal Opportunities Policy we have issued to all staff which makes it clear that discrimination on grounds of disability is unacceptable. We have also established a Disabled Forum which can raise with management any point of concern.


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