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Official Trade Missions
Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he makes of political circumstances, and what weight he attaches to human rights abuses, when deciding whether official trade missions should take place. [12289]
Mr. Hanley: Decisions to send official trade missions are taken in the light of a number of factors, including the political and economic situation of the country concerned, the commercial opportunities for British companies and their interest in the market. Trade missions are briefed by British diplomatic posts on all relevant aspects of the country's political situation including its human rights record.
Diplomatic Service (Science-related Posts)
Mr. Ingram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the (a) costs and (b) the number of science-related posts in the diplomatic service for each year since 1979. [12325]
Mr. Hanley: The costs, including salaries, allowances, travel costs and accommodation, and numbers for science-related posts in the diplomatic service are as follows:
| Numbers | £ cost | |
|---|---|---|
| 1993-94 | 24.4 | 2,240,586 |
| 1994-95 | 24.4 | 2,313,237 |
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Details for previous years are not readily available and could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
Mr. Ingram:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the planned (a) expenditure on and (b) cost of science-related posts in the diplomatic service over the next three years. [12326]
Mr. Hanley:
The forecast total cost and expenditure for science-related posts in the diplomatic service over the next three financial years are as follows:
1995-96: £2,174,000
1996-97: £2,139,906
1997-98: £2,193,404
European Union Staff
Mr. Marlow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what changes will take place in European Union staff numbers as a result of enlargement; what changes were originally forecast; what is the average length of service of those receiving redundancy; how the cost of redundancy is related to length of service; and what is the average length of service of those receiving redundancy per head in respect of (a) permanent staff, (b) temporary staff, (c) professional staff and (d) clerical and other staff. [10347]
Mr. David Davis [holding answer 22 January 1996]: On 1 January 1995, the EU enlarged to 15 member states with the accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden. Many of the new posts created as a result have not yet been filled. The final changes as a result of enlargement are therefore not yet known.
The forecast staff numbers are agreed by the Council in the budget. The table lists the successive budgets which have increased staff numbers, at least in part as a result of enlargement.
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1. Only a part of the 1995 budget increase in staff numbers were in response to enlargement.
2. The 1995 supplementary budget staff increases were almost all due to enlargement.
3. The increase in Commission staff for 1996 is divided mainly between enlargement (95 staff) and fraud prevention. The Council increase is mostly for enlargement.
Source:
Report of the Budget Committee to COREPER, on the 1996 budgetary procedure, 7 July 1995. Ref 8770/95.
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With the latest enlargement, the European Parliament grew by 59 new MEPs. From 1995 to 1997, it will be taking on 335 extra staff, 157 for translation and interpreting.
Following enlargement only, the European Parliament has a redundancy programme. The programme was agreed by the Budget Council on 17 November 1995 and runs for five years. It is therefore too early to say what the average length of service is for those staff being made
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redundant. However, the programme is open only to "fonctionnaires"--permanent staff--with more than 10 years' service, and "agents temporaire"--on fixed-term contracts--with more than 15 years' service. The minimum age for fonctionnaires to be eligible for the scheme is 55. For agents temporaire, it is 50.
The cost of redundancy is not related to the length of service. Redundant staff receive 70 per cent. of their basic
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pay until the age of 65, or until they are entitled to receive a full pension, whichever is earlier.
Mr. McMaster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to her answer of 14 December, Official Report, column 738, what guidelines her Department has issued to placing, assessment and counselling team managers and regional PACT managers on the funding of access to work. [12216]
Mr. Forth:
Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Mike Fogden to Mr. Gordon McMaster, dated 30 January 1996:
Mr. Forth:
Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Mike Fogden to Mr. Dafydd Wigley, dated 30 January 1996:
Mr. Harvey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when she expects to reply to the letters from the hon. Member for North Devon of
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5 October and 9 November 1995 and 3 January 1996 concerning Park school, Barnstaple. [12514]
Mr. Robin Squire:
A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 25 January 1996. We have not received the letter of 3 January 1996.
Ms Jowell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of secondary school head teachers were women in (a) 1975, (b) 1980, (c) 1985, (d) 1990 and (e) 1995 (i) by local education authority and (ii) nationally. [10518]
Mr. Robin Squire:
The information requested is shown in the table.
Mr. Wigley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if the funds allocated to (a) access to work schemes and (b) the supported employment schemes are cash limited in (i) the present financial year and (ii) 1996-97 financial year. [11975]
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about guidelines to Placing, Assessment and Counselling Team (PACT) and regional PACT managers on the funding of Access to Work.
Funding for Access to Work is devolved to regions. PACT managers and regional PACT managers have general guidance on the management of budgets and, from the outset of Access to Work, they have had specific guidance on the management of Access to Work resources.
Since the Secretary of State's announcement on 14 December 1995 we have issued further guidance to ensure that resources are being targeted in line with the announcement.
I hope this is helpful.
The Secretary of State for Education and Employment has asked me to reply to your question about whether the funds allocated to the Access to Work and Supported Employment programmes are cash limited.
I can confirm funds allocated to Access to Work and to Supported Employment programmes are part of a cash limited Vote in both the present and the 1996-97 financial years.
However, as a Next Steps Agency the Employment Service has specific financial flexibilities, which enable me to switch provision in-year between programmes, within the overall Vote. Exercising these flexibilities are subject to HM Treasury confirmation.
I hope this is helpful.
n/a not applicable.
(3) Excludes sixth form colleges.
(4) Excludes headteachers employed by local education authroities who were not attached to a particular school.
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