| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Government Bonds (Payment)
Mr. Denzil Davies:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to ensure that a present purchaser of Her Majesty's Government's bonds with a redemption date after 1999 will receive payment in pound sterling. [13615]
12 Feb 1996 : Column: 425
Mrs. Angela Knight:
The presidency conclusion from the European Council on 15 to 16 December 1995 in Madrid state that, on the assumption that the third stage of EMU starts on 1 January 1999, in participating member states,
12 Feb 1996 : Column: 426
12 Feb 1996 : Column: 427
"by 1 January 2002 at the latest, public debt denominated in the former national currencies will be redeemable only in the single currency".
Protocol No. 11 annexed to the EC treaty means that the United Kingdom shall not be obliged or committed to participate in the third stage of economic and monetary union without a separate decision to do so by the Government and Parliament. We will agree to take part in the single currency only if it is in our national interest to do so, given the circumstances at the time.
Visitors' Facilities
31. Mr. Flynn: To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission what new proposals he has to improve facilities for visitors to the House. [13049]
Mr. Beith: On 12 July 1994, the House approved a recommendation from the Catering Committee that the area currently occupied by the Westminster Hall cafeteria should be converted into a visitors' centre.
Cleaning Contracts
Mr. Key: To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission which company holds the cleaning contract in respect of common areas, kitchens and men's and women's lavatories, and rooms other than Members and Members' staff rooms, at 7 Millbank; when it commenced; when it will terminate; what is its value; and if it was awarded by competitive tender. [14467]
Mr. Beith: The cleaning contract for the parliamentary estate, including 7 Millbank is held by ISS London Ltd. The contract commenced in August 1992 and will terminate in August 1997. The value of the contract is subject to commercial confidentiality, but the annual cost of contract cleaning at 7 Millbank, excluding the rooms of Members and their staff, is £190,000. The contract was awarded by competitive tender.
Job Advertisements
Mr. Janner: To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many jobs have been advertised in each grade in each Department of the House during the last three months for which records are available; and how many people have been applied for each such job. [13894]
Mr. Beith: In the three months ending 31 January 1996 details of recruitment exercises held to fill vacancies in Departments of the House, together with the number of applicants for each, are as follows:
12 Feb 1996 : Column: 428
Westminster Hall (Media Use)
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if he will assess the advantages of allowing live media use of Westminster Hall. [13054]
Mr. Michael J. Martin: The authorities controlling Westminster Hall have already agreed that permission may be granted to film interviews in the Hall before 9.30 am on sitting Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and during recesses.
Filming is also permitted in any of the six interview rooms off the Hall, and in the Jubilee Room.
Photocopiers
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee what are the rules governing the use of photocopiers owned and maintained by the House authorities; what assessment he has made of the extent to which photocopiers are being used to excess; and what measures are being pursued to prevent such abuses. [13051]
Mr. Michael J. Martin: Photocopiers owned and maintained by the House are intended for use by hon. Members in connection with their parliamentary duties. They are not intended to be used for work in connection with hon. Members' party political or non-parliamentary work outside Parliament. Detailed guidance on their use is given in a notice adjacent to each photocopier.
As a result of a recent study into control systems to prevent abuse of photocopying facilities, the Administration Committee approved a trial of overprinted photocopy paper in 7 Millbank, to run from the return of the House from the Christmas adjournment, until its rise for the Easter adjournment. The results will then be considered in order to establish what effect the introduction of this paper has had on consumption, and will enable the Committee to decide on any further action.
Catering Facilities
Mr. Hain: To ask the Chairman of the Catering Committee what plans he has to upgrade catering facilities for visitors to the Palace of Westminster. [13052]
Sir Colin Shepherd: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave on 15 January, Official Report, column 350.
Mr. Nigel Evans: To ask the Chairman of the Catering Committee what additional provision he plans to make for additional catering facilities at the House of Commons in the next financial year. [13056]
Sir Colin Shepherd:
There are no additional catering facilities planned in the next financial year.
12 Feb 1996 : Column: 429
However, the refurbishment of existing outlets will continue, which will update and improve the facilities currently available to hon. Members and all others who work in the Palace.
Mrs. Clwyd:
To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if he will make a statement on the measures taken to combat the presence of Legionnaires' disease. [13060]
Mr. Michael J. Martin:
I refer the hon. Lady to the reply I gave on 15 January, Official Report column 350.
38. Mr. Barnes:
To ask the Lord President of the Council what plans he has to improve parliamentary scrutiny of European Union decision making; and if he will make a statement. [13064]
Mr. Newton:
Scrutiny procedures are kept under review, but I have no specific plans for change at present. Careful consideration will be given to any proposals emerging from the Select Committee on European Legislation intergovernmental conference inquiry.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Lord President of the Council, pursuant to his answer of 15 January, Official Report column 365, what factors preclude him from setting up a Select Committee on the destruction of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie. [13063]
Mr. Newton:
There have already been a number of investigations and inquiries including the fatal accident inquiry, the Transport Select Committee and the US presidential commission. It is difficult to see what further areas a Select Committee on the destruction of Pan Am 103 could look at without encroaching on evidence which can properly be addressed only in the context of a criminal trial of the two Libyans accused.
Mr. Skinner:
To ask the Lord President of the Council how many all-night sittings there have been in the period since the Jopling report recommendations were introduced. [13062]
Departmental Publications
Dr. Wright: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which is his Department's administrative manuals and internal guidance are now made public; and which remain private. [14037]
Mr. Boswell:
In accordance with paragraph 3(ii) of the "Code of Practice on Access to Government Information", we have already made available the great majority of the Ministry's administrative guidelines on our dealings with the public. These are as listed. The remainder, some
12 Feb 1996 : Column: 430
chapters in the "Instructions for Regional Service Centres and Instructions for Veterinary Officers", will be made available as soon as possible.
Where guidance contains information which should properly be kept confidential under the code, relevant sections have been removed and each has been marked to this effect.
Guidelines released to date:
12 Feb 1996 : Column: 431
12 Feb 1996 : Column: 432
Instruction on period to be allowed for public consultation exercises.
Aide-Memoire on open government.
Control manuals for the UKROFS certification system.
Operating manual for the UKROFS certification scheme for organic food production.
Guidance for dealing with complaints received by the MAFF consumer helpline.
Checklist for dealing with applications for export certificates for food additives.
Desk instructions for processing applications for certificates for exports of animal feedingstuffs, feed additives, fertilisers and related products.
Desk instructions on the fishing vessels decommissioning scheme 1994.
Desk instructions for handling harbours legislation.
Instructions for dealing with the fishing vessel safety improvements grants scheme 1993.
Classification of shellfish production and relaying areas.
Wildlife and Countryside Act licensing.
Internal instructions for dealing with the monitoring for algal toxins.
Several regulating orders.
Instructions (for the Sea Fisheries Inspectorate) for dealing with sea fish licensing in "Community" waters.
Handbook for nuclear accident response.
HMI instruction manual for dealing with quality standards for fruit and vegetables.
Library procedures manual.
D3/94: "Library Visitors".
D2/94: "Handling Enquiries from the Public".
Land use planning handbook.
Desk instructions for dealing with the processing of licences for deposits at sea including burial under Food and Environment Protection Act.
Guide for enforcement of the Dumping at Sea Act 1974--version 2 (January 1985).
Divisional desk instructions for dealing with the marketing development scheme.
Desk instructions for dealing with the processing and marketing grant scheme.
Instructions on the operating of the egg marketing regulation.
Instructions on the operation of the hatching eggs and chicks regulation.
Desk instructions for issuing of licences to import and/or retain prohibited plant material etc. under the provisions of the Plant Health (GB) Order 1993.
Plant Health and Seed Inspectorate (PHSI) handbook.
Desk instructions for issuing phystosanitary certificates for export of plant products to third countries.
Desk instructions on the handling of applications for plant breeders' rights and national listing.
Desk instructions for processing applications under the postgraduate agricultural and food studentship scheme.
The introduction of fish from other member states, the licensing of live fish imports from third countries and movements of dead fish and fish viscera.
Desk instructions on licensing live fish and shellfish imports from third countries.
Assessment handbook: "Methods for the Assessment of the potential Impact of Authorised Disposal of Radioactive Waste into the Atmosphere".
Food and agriculture radioactivity monitoring programme 1995 (FARM) 1995--analytical requirements.
Radioactivity monitoring: TRAMP and FARM sampling requirements 1995.
Terrestrial Radiological monitoring programme (TRAMP) procedures document.
Instructions for veterinary officers and local veterinary inspectors (part released).
Regional service centre instructions relating to:
Misuse of pesticides (ENV 15).
Destruction of moles by Strychnine (ENV 11).
Agricultural wages enforcement (GEN 5).
Apple orchard grubbing up scheme (GRA 21).
IACS (GEN 19).
Habitat scheme (GRA 30).
Beef special premium scheme (LIV 12).
ALT land drainage cases (GEN 14).
Terrestrial radioactivity monitoring programme (TRAMP) (ENV 16).
Agricultural wages committees (GEN 4).
Agricultural dwelling house advisory committees (GEN 9).
Environmentally sensitive areas (GRA 8).
Environmental pollution (ENV 5).
(New) Nitrate sensitive areas (GRA 29).
Pilot nitrate sensitive areas (GRA 20).
Sheep annual premium scheme (LIV 1).
Hill livestock compensatory allowances (HLCS's) 1988-93 (LIV 2).
Hill livestock compensatory allowances 1994 (LIV 11).
Suckler cow premium scheme (LIV 8).
Refund on starch used in the manufacture of approved products (IB 38).
The declared stocks scheme for barley and malt (IB 8).
Support buying and sale of cereals (IB 1).
Farm woodland premium scheme (GRA 24).
Agricultural and horticultural co-operation scheme (AHCS) (GRA 5).
Aid for concentrated grape must: Sampling and testing procedures (IB 29).
Certification scheme for hops and hop products.
Apple orchard grubbing up scheme 1994-95 (GRA 33).
Intervention arrangements--fresh fruit and vegetables (IB 2).
Short term lettings and licences (GEN 10).
Infestation control mammals and birds: badgers--licensing arrangements (ENV 17).
Rabbits (ENV 12).
Non-indigenous species (ENV 14).
Licensing procedures for the killing or taking of wild birds (ENV 10).
Infestation control mammals and birds: legislation (ENV 9).
Infestation control mammals and birds: introduction (ENV 8).
Infestation control mammals and birds: deer (ENV 13).
SLOM II (LIV 7).
Aid for Liquid Skimmed Milk, Buttermilk for use as stockfeed (IB 15).
Milk supplementary levy (IB 33).
SLOM III (LIV 9).
Milk supplementary levy: temporary reallocation of quota arising from herd movements restrictions (MIL 8).
SLOM compensation (LIV 10).
Statistics: Agricultural censuses and surveys (GEN 6).
Dehydrated fodder (IB 5).
Aid for refining raw cane sugar (IB 41).
Olive oil consumption aid (IB 32).
Flax and hemp subsidy (IB 7).
Isoglucose production levy (IB 30).
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |