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Freedom of Information
Ms Coffey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on Government policy in respect of freedom of information. [15257]
Mr. Willetts: Our policy is based on the code of practice on access to Government information, which has been operating since 1994, together with legislation covering specific areas of information that the Government have introduced or supported. We believe that this meets the aims of freedom of information in a way that is less legalistic, less rigid and less costly than a general statutory access regime.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
British Council
37. Mr. Rathbone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the chairman of the British Council to discuss the level of Overseas Development Administration grant in aid to the council. [15274]
Mr. Hanley: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs visited the British Council on 7 February. Among other subjects, he and the chairman discussed planned funding from both wings of the FCO.
Emergency Disaster Relief
39. Mr. Jacques Arnold: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support the Government have given recently to emergency disaster relief. [15276]
Mr. Hanley:
Since 1 January, the ODA has responded to six new emergencies--in China, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Nicaragua and South Africa--with grants totalling £515,000. It has also continued funding actions is more than 20 other long-term situations.
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Miss Lestor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the effect of the recommendation in the Overseas Development Administration's fundamental expenditure review that the technical assistance functions of the United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Children's Fund and the United Nations Population Fund be consolidated. [16397]
Mr. Hanley:
The ODA fundamental expenditure review did not make a specific recommendation for the consolidation of the technical assistance functions of UNDP, UNICEF and UNFPA. We nevertheless keep under continuous review measures for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of all UN development agencies.
Mr. Alfred Morris:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what financial help has been and is now being given to the people of Montserrat in relation to problems associated with increased volcanic activity in the dependency; what assessment he has made of its adequacy; what further help is being considered; and if he will make a statement. [16975]
Mr. Hanley:
Through the official aid programme, the Government have committed £4.6 million since July 1995 to problems raised by the volcanic emergency. A list of the main elements of this continuing programme has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Monitoring and assessment of the existing funding is continuous through the governor's office, which is assisted by a full-time ODA consultant on Montserrat and visits from the regional office in Barbados. Further funds are available if necessary.
Mr. Morris:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people have given up their homes in Montserrat and left for Antigua and elsewhere due to increased volcanic activity on the island; what contingency plans have been made for dealing with the worsening of the situation; and if he will make a statement. [16976]
Mr. Hanley:
It is estimated that up to 1,000 Montserratians are now off the island. Most are working elsewhere in the Caribbean. There are no figures on the number of households involved. A range of plans for differing situations have been formulated. The lessons learnt from two recent evacuations into the northern safe zone are influencing continuing preparations for any third such event. Thanks to the co-operation of the Government of Antigua, facilities exist on Antigua should evacuation of Montserrat be necessary.
Sir Teddy Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many flights of arms and ammunition were made from Manaston airport to Nigeria in the course of the Biafra problems; and what assessment he has made of the delivery of the manifests. [17246]
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Mr. Hanley:
I regret that to provide the information which relates to the period 1966 to 1970 would incur disproportionate costs.
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received, and what discussions he has held, about the present funding situation of the UNHCR humanitarian operation in the great lakes region. [17025]
Mr. Hanley:
Representations were made by the United High Commissioner for Refugees to the ODA and UK mission officials in Geneva on 4 February and the matter was subsequently discussed by European Union ambassadors in Geneva on 5 February. The release since then of US$ 26 million by the European Commission has now alleviated UNHCR's funding problems.
On 31 January, my noble Friend Baroness Chalker announced a further UK bilateral commitment of £3 million towards the water and sanitation needs of refugees and local population in Tanzania. A large proportion of this will be channelled through UNHCR.
Mr. Michael Brown:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the cost to public funds of the printing and publishing of the Scott report. [16218]
Mr. Lang:
HMSO normally bears the costs of printing, publishing and distributing all Parliamentary publications, with the overall aim of recovering these from sales revenue.
However, in this case, and at the request of Sir Richard Scott, my Department has agreed to pay a subsidy in the region of £85,000 so that the cover price can be contained at a level which ensures that the report is as accessible as possible to the general public.
Mr. Campbell-Savours:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received alleging an agreement on price and markets between manufacturers of pickles and other canned food products in the United Kingdom. [16229]
Mr. John M. Taylor:
None. Any evidence suggesting that manufacturers of pickles and other canned food products may be acting anti-competitively should be brought to the attention of the Director General of Fair Trading, who has the responsibility to consider and, if appropriate, investigate such allegations.
Mr. Nigel Evans:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the comparative efficiency of energy production of wind turbines and conventional forms of energy production. [16418]
Mr. Page:
Reviews spanning the technical, economic and environmental status of the range of technologies available or potentially available, including wind energy,
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to meet the UK's energy requirement over a 40-year time horizon were published in two reports, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. They are "ETSU R83: An Appraisal of UK Energy Research, Development, Demonstration and Dissemination" and "ETSU R82: An Assessment of Renewable Energy for the UK."
Mr. Gale:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many dogs were exported for sale from the United Kingdom in each of the past five years; and to what destinations. [17043]
Mr. Nelson:
The information requested is not available as the United Kingdom trade classification does not separately identify dogs.
Mr. Ian McCartney:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list (a) the number of industrial tribunal cases heard involving (i) British Gas (ii) British Telecom, (iii) National Power, Powergen, National Grid and Nuclear Electric, (iv) the East Midlands Electricity, (v) Eastern Electricity, (vi) London Electricity, (vii) MANWEB, (viii) Midlands Electricity, (ix) Northern Electricity, (x) Norweb (xi) Seeboard, (xii) Southern Electricity, (xiii) South Wales Electricity, (xiv) South Western Electricity and (xv) Yorkshire Electricity in 1995, (b) in how many cases, and in what percentage of occasions, the tribunal found against the company and (c) the monetary value of any award set by the tribunal in each case. [16619]
Mr. John M. Taylor:
I regret that the information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. McCartney:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list (a) the number of industrial tribunal cases heard involving (i) British Gas in 1985, (ii) British Telecom in 1983, (iii) the Central Electricity Generating Board in 1988, (iv) the East Midlands Electricity Board in 1989, (v) Eastern Electricity Board in 1989, (vi) the London Electricity Board, (vii) MANWEB in 1989, (viii) the Midlands Electricity Board in 1989, (ix) the Northern Electricity Board in 1989, (x) Norweb in 1989, (xi) Seeboard in 1989, (xii) the Southern Electricity Board in 1989, (xiii) the South Wales Electricity Board in 1989, (xiv) the South Western Electricity Board in 1989 and (xv) the Yorkshire Electricity Board in 1989, (b) in how many cases, and in what percentage of occasions, the tribunal found against the company and (c) the monetary value of any award set by the tribunal in each case. [16618]
Mr. Taylor:
I regret that the information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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