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Departmental Suppliers
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to ensure that the Overseas Development Administration identifies the size of its suppliers by the number of their employees. [15677]
Mr. Hanley: ODA and its procurement agents have instigated arrangements for asking suppliers bidding for work whether they have fewer than 200 employees.
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Legislation (Complexity)
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Lord President of the Council what steps he is taking to eliminate unnecessary complexity in primary and secondary legislation. [15765]
Mr. Newton: It is the Government's settled policy that neither primary nor secondary legislation should contain unnecessary provisions, and that provisions should be drafted as simply as is consistent with certainty.
Westminster Hall
Mr. Peter Bottomley: To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee if the southern floor of Westminster Hall is sinking; and if he will make a statement. [15405]
Mr. Ray Powell: Over a period of years there has been some slight movement of the floor at the south end of Westminster Hall. A firm of structural engineers specialising in historic buildings has been appointed to investigate and is expected to produce an interim report in April 1996. Levels and other measurements are monitored regularly. Investigations already made over the Christmas period suggest that major work will not be required.
Security Turnstiles
Mr. Corbett: To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee on what date the security turnstiles were installed at the subway entrance to the House; on how many days since repair and maintenance staff have had to be called to them; and what was the estimated cost to parliamentary funds of that maintenance. [13205]
Mr. Ray Powell [holding answer 1 February 1996]: The security turnstiles were installed on 1 September 1993. It is not the practice to publish details of the costs of security measures which have been implemented. Maintenance staff were called out on 66 occasions between November 1993 and December 1995 and the cost of that was borne by the manufacturers of the turnstiles.
Mr. Jaques Arnold: To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee what has been spent on the provision and maintenance of the turnstiles at the pedestrian entrance by Westminster bridge. [13053]
Mr. Powell
[holding answer 12 February 1996]: The security turnstiles were installed on 1 September 1993. It is not the practice to publish details of the costs of security measures which have been implemented.
21 Feb 1996 : Column: 152
Maintenance staff were called out on 66 occasions between November 1993 and December 1995 and the cost of that was borne by the manufacturers of the turnstiles.
Sir Sydney Chapman:
To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee what plans there are to restore the Terrace of the Palace of Westminster to its original level. [13048]
Mr. Ray Powell
[holding answer 12 February 1996]: It would be feasible to restore the Terrace to its original level. When the 10-year rolling programme is next reviewed, the Accommodation and Works Committee will be able to consider whether it would be good value for money to do so.
Mr. Caborn:
To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee which company was awarded the roofing contract for the new parliamentary building; and what was the price at which it was awarded. [14673]
Mr. Ray Powell
[holding answer 14 February 1996]: I am pleased to announce that, after competitive tendering, the contract for the manufacture and erection of the roof has been awarded to Watson Steel Ltd., Bolton, but regret that it is not the practice to divulge commercially sensitive financial information.
Kashmir
Mr. Cox: To ask the Prime Minister if he will support the setting up of an eminent persons group to seek to discuss a possible settlement to the conflict in Kashmir; and if he will make a settlement. [16035]
The Prime Minister: I am not aware of any plans to set up an eminent persons group. We continue to believe that the best way forward on Kashmir should involve simultaneous progress on dialogue between India and Pakistan; improvement in human rights in Kashmir and a genuine political process there; and a clear cessation of support for violence in Kashmir.
Naturalisation
Mr. Alton: To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions in 1993 Government Whips submitted written statements or were consulted on individual applications for naturalisation as a British citizen; and if he will make a statement. [15563]
The Prime Minister
[holding answer 16 February 1996]: In 1993, Home Office Ministers and officials in the immigration and nationality department received 10 letters from six hon. Members who were Government Whips about individual applications for naturalisation as a British citizen, all of which were constituency cases.
21 Feb 1996 : Column: 153
Correspondence from the hon. Member for Gedling (Mr. Mitchell) cannot be located immediately. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary will write to the hon. Member shortly.
No Government Whips were consulted about any individual cases for naturalisation.
Mr. Hall:
To ask the Prime Minister (1) how many civil servants have been assigned to work on the Government's response to the Scott report as of 13 February; [15704]
The Prime Minister
[holding answer 16 February 1996]: The information is not held centrally and could therefore be assembled only at disproportionate cost. Access to the report itself prior to publication was, however, restricted to a small number of officials in the main Departments concerned.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of his written statement and replies to written questions posed by Sir Richard Scott to the inquiry into trade with Iraq. [15694]
The Prime Minister
[holding answer 16 February 1996]: I understand that Sir Richard Scott will be publishing these documents as soon as practicable.
Mr. Smith:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will now list the titles of each of the papers his office made available to the Scott inquiry. [15701]
The Prime Minister
[holding answer 16 February 1996]: I understand that Sir Richard Scott will be making available the source documents referred to in his report and responses to requests for written evidence as soon as possible.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the companies or individuals which made the representations referred to in his answer to the hon. Member for Amber Valley (Mr. Oppenheim) on 24 November 1992, Official Report, column 583. [15702]
The Prime Minister
[holding answer 16 February 1996]: No. The names of companies or individuals who have corresponded with my Department is confidential unless they give their permission for this information to be disclosed.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Prime Minister what communications (a) he and (b) other Ministers received from Dr. Carlos Cardoen of Chile since 1985 over the procurement of British machine tools for the production of armaments in Chile. [16000]
The Prime Minister:
As far as I am aware, we have no record of any such communications having been received from Dr. Carlos Cardoen.
21 Feb 1996 : Column: 154
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the cost of compiling the latest United Kingdom submission to the United Nations register of conventional arms transfers; to whom it was circulated; and what responses he has received in respect of the submission. [15961]
Mr. David Davis:
We strongly support the UN register of conventional arms which was set up following a personal initiative of my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister at the European Council in April 1991, and are committed to its success.
No study has ever been made into the cost of compiling the UK submission to the register.
(2) if he will list the grades and job titles of all civil servants who have worked on the preparation of the Government's response to the Scott report. [15706]
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