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Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will press for a redefinition of animals in the treaty of Rome from agricultural products to sentient beings; and if he will make a statement. [12163]
Mrs. Browning [holding answer 29 January 1996]: The Government attach high priority to animal welfare. We secured the declaration, attached to the Maastricht treaty, which calls for full account to be taken of animal welfare in agricultural and other policies. We are considering possible options for building on this declaration as part of our detailed preparations for the intergovernmental conference later this year.
Mr. Hain: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much in (a) ecus and (b) pounds by standard region and in total the United Kingdom received under the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund over the last available five years in respect of (i) the structural funds and (ii) the price guarantees. [11654]
Mr. Boswell
[holding answer 29 January 1996]: A table containing details of UK receipts under the European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund is set
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out. A breakdown by standard region is not available. The guidance section is one of the structural funds. The guarantee section finances market support.
1990-91 | 1991-92 | 1992-93 | 1993-94 | (24)1994-95 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
(a) Ecus (million)(25) | |||||
(i) Guidance section(26) | 93 | 134 | 100 | 104 | 82 |
(ii) Guarantee section | 2,226 | 2,457 | 2,150 | 3,569 | 3,141 |
(b) £ (million) | |||||
(i) Guidance section(26) | 66 | 94 | 71 | 82 | 63 |
(ii) Guarantee section | 1,579 | 1,718 | 1,525 | 2,810 | 2,416 |
Notes:
(24) Estimated outturn.
(25) Exchange rates used are as follows: 1990-91: £1 = 1.41 ecu, 1991-92: £1 = 1.43 ecu, 1992-93: £1 = 1.41 ecu, 1993-94: £1 = 1.27 ecu, 1994-95: £1 = 1.30 ecu.
(26) Up to and including 1993-94 an element of EAGGF guidance section funding related to fisheries.
Source:
1990-91 to 1993-94: 1995 departmental report of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's smaller departments, table 9.4, "Receipts from European Institutions analysed by Department".
Mr. Miller: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 23 January, Official Report, column 131, if he will list all cases where spare computer capacity has been sold to other Departments since 1987, giving the value of each contract. [12075]
Mr. Willetts: Information on the sale of spare computer capacity between Departments is not held centrally.
Mr. McMaster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many chauffeurs are employed by Her Majesty's Government; and what percentage of them are disabled. [12227]
Mr. Willetts: This is an operational matter on which I have asked the chief executive of the Security Facilities Executive--SAFE--to write to the hon. Member direct.
Letter from John King to Mr. Gordon McMaster, dated 29 January 1996:
I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister seeking information on the number of chauffeurs employed by the Government and what percentage are disabled.
30 Jan 1996 : Column: 699
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of absenteeism rates in days per annum for staff in his Department for 1995-96. [11373]
Mr. Willetts:
The table gives the available absenteeism figures for the central Cabinet Office, including No. 10 and the executive agencies for which I am responsible. Figures for previous years and 1995-96 are not available.
My Agency is responsible for the Government Car Service which employs the majority of the governments' chauffeurs. There are currently 148 GCS drivers/chauffeurs, none of which are at present registered disabled.
The nature of the GCS drivers duties, which includes security and safety considerations, call for people who can meet the exacting physical requirements for the job.
1993-94 | 1994-95 | |
---|---|---|
Central Department | 8.48 | 8.45 |
COI | 7.76 | 9.67 |
CS college | 7.00 | 6.40 |
HMSO | 9.86 | 7.03 |
OHSA | 8.82 | 14.52 |
RAS | 8.58 | 12.99 |
Chessington | 9.00 | 10.37 |
SAFE | 4.34 | 11.05 |
TBA | 9.97 | 8.70 |
Total | 8.35 | 8.61 |
Absence rates represent total days absent divided by total number of staff.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what is his estimate of departmental expenditure on administration for (a) 1995-96 and (b) 1996-97. [11505]
Mr. Willetts: Details of running costs and administrative spending by the Cabinet Office, including the Prime Minister's Office, and the Office of Public Service for the years 1989-90 through to 1997-98 are contained in tables 7.5 and 7.6 of my Department's annual report, Cm 2820, copies of which are available in the Members' Library. This years' report, due to be published at the end of March, will reflect the Cabinet Office's new responsibilities, following the machinery of government and other changes.
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many public information films on the effects of cold weather on plumbing have been shown in the cinema or on television since 1966, indicating who produced the films and when they were shown on television and cinema screens. [12704]
Mr. Willetts: Many energy efficiency campaigns have been run since 1966. All have contained information on the effects of cold weather on pipes. Details of these campaigns cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
Mr. Steen: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the deregulation task force's priority areas for 1996; and what action has arisen as a result of priority area status. [12262]
Mr. Freeman:
The priority areas for work in 1995-96 identified by the deregulation task force in its first annual report are: the labour market; planning; building regulations; financial services; the health sector; and
30 Jan 1996 : Column: 700
longer-term issues, such as risk pricing and reviewing legislation. The task force is also following up areas covered in its 1994-95 report, such as taxation and national insurance, and health and safety.
The task force has been holding meetings with Ministers and officials from the relevant Government Departments. It expects to make recommendations on these areas in its next annual report.
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the incidences since 1979 when Her Majesty's Government have (a) refused an asylum application and (b) revoked an existing residency or asylum permission granted to a foreign national as a result of the overriding interests of British diplomatic or trade relationships with the country of origin of the individuals concerned. [8646]
Miss Widdecombe: No asylum application has been refused and no grant of refugee status has been revoked on foreign relations or economic grounds.
Sir Andrew Bowden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what number and proportion of recorded crimes were committed against people aged over the state retirement age in (a) 1975, (b) 1985 and (c) 1995; and if he will provide a breakdown by type of recorded crimes. [10202]
Mr. Maclean: Information on the victims of recorded crime is not routinely collected by the Home Office. However, extracts from an ad hoc survey giving information on the age and gender of victims of recorded offences of violence against the person for 1990 to 1992 were published in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, 1994", a copy of which is available in the Library.
Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, after 5 February, in respect of asylum seekers (i) appealing against a negative decision and (ii) applying for asylum in-country, lack of funds will be considered an acceptable reason for failing to attend an interview; and if his Department plans (a) to start interviewing asylum applicants at their homes and (b) to fund their travel-to-interview costs. [11831]
Miss Widdecombe: After 5 February, as at present, applicants will be expected to attend interviews. The immigration rules make it clear that failure, without reasonable explanation, to comply with a request to attend for interview may lead to the refusal of the application. Any reasons put forward by an applicant for failing to attend an interview will continue to be considered against his or her individual circumstances.
The Home Office has no plans to interview asylum applicants at their homes or to pay their travel costs.
30 Jan 1996 : Column: 701
Ms Lynne:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review the practice of withholding permission to work to asylum applicants for six months after 5 February. [11803]
Miss Widdecombe:
The employment concession for asylum seekers is kept under regular review.
Ms Lynne:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the administrative costs that might arise after 5 February in the serving of papers on asylum applicants not receiving benefits who are (a) homeless and (b) living in temporary nightshelters. [11804]
Miss Widdecombe:
In cases where the Home Office has been supplied with details of a representative but does not know the whereabouts of the applicant, the decision will be served on the representative. The Immigration Appeals (Notices) Regulations 1984 provide that the requirement to serve a notice is satisfied if the notice is served on a person appointed to act on behalf of the applicant.
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