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Civil Evidence Act 1995
Rev. Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when section 10 of the Civil Evidence Act 1995 will come into effect in Northern Ireland. [20869]
Sir John Wheeler: It is expected that section 10 of the Civil Evidence Act 1995 will be brought into force in Northern Ireland on the same day as in England and Wales. No day has yet been appointed for this.
Competitive Tendering (Contracts)
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many contracts for goods or services have been awarded in each of the last three financial years by his Department and its executive agencies after competitive tendering; and what was the total combined value of these contracts. [21037]
Sir John Wheeler: The annual spend on goods and services following competitive tendering by Northern Ireland Departments, the Northern Ireland Office and their executive agencies in each of the last three financial years is:
1992-93: £280 million
1993-94: £231 million
1994-95: £236 million
Order in Council
Mr. Robert McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what were the individual costs of
20 Mar 1996 : Column: 200
the last 10 completed consultation processes on proposed Orders in Council. [17115]
Sir John Wheeler [holding answer 28 February 1996]: The estimated costs of printing and postage associated with the last 10 completed consultation processes were:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Business Tenancies (NI) Order | 1,445 |
| Police (NI) Order | 2,517 |
| Gas (NI) Order | 2,712 |
| Road Traffic Offenders (NI) Order | 3,362 |
| Food Safety (Amendment) (NI) Order | 570 |
| Proceeds of Crime (NI) Order | 1,161 |
| Road Traffic (NI) Order | 3,818 |
| Street Works (NI) Order | 3,803 |
| Ombudsman (NI) Order and Commissioner of Complaints (NI) Order | 4,041 |
| Education (NI) Order | 8,486 |
Staff costs are available only in respect of two consultation processes as follows:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Gas (NI) Order | 500 |
| Food Safety (Amendment) NI Order | 130 |
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
China and Taiwan
Mr. Pawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to discuss with the United States authorities the situation between China and Taiwan. [21642]
20 Mar 1996 : Column: 201
Mr. Hanley: We have been in regular and close contact with the Americans about the situation in the Taiwan straits.
South Africa
Mr. Rathbone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent talks he has had with European Union member counterparts to help establish for South Africa a free trade agreement into the European Union; and what the next steps towards such an agreement will be. [21593]
Mr. David Davis: The UK is in the lead in pressing for liberalisation of trade between the EU and South Africa. The negotiation mandate for an EU-South Africa free trade area was discussed at the Foreign Affairs Councils on 4 December, 29 January and 26 February. It will be on the agenda again at the Foreign Affairs Council on 25 to 26 March, when the UK will urge partners to agree a mandate which is compatible with World Trade Organisation rules and negotiable with the South Africans.
Departmental Contractors and Suppliers
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures his Department is taking to ensure that its contractors and suppliers (a) pay their employees a wage which ensures such employees do not need supplementary welfare payments via various state benefits and (b) meet workplace health and safety regulations; and if he will make a statement. [21471]
Mr. Hanley: Terms and conditions of employment, including wages, are a matter between the contractor or supplier and his employees, subject to any relevant legal requirements. Compliance with health and safety regulations is a legal requirement for the contractor or supplier.
Public Bodies
Dr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department (a) hold public meetings, (b) conduct public consultation exercises, (c) conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interests, (d) publish a register of members' interests, (e) publish agendas for meetings and (f) publish the minutes of meetings (i) under a statutory requirement and (ii) voluntarily. [21276]
Hong Kong
Mr. Faber: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the annual report on Hong Kong will be laid before Parliament. [21986]
Mr. Hanley: The report is being published and laid before Parliament today. Copies will be placed in the Library of the House.
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European Parliament
Mr. John Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the estimated cost of the European Parliament in 1996; and what were the figures in each of the last five years. [20988]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: I have been asked to reply.
The information is provided in the table.
| Ecu | £ | |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 465,800,000 | 326,099,130 |
| 1992 | 528,100,000 | 387,738,610 |
| 1993 | 660,300,000 | 514,052,160 |
| 1994 | 646,300,000 | 500,077,370 |
| 1995 | 843,321,000 | 690,624,020 |
| 1996 | 802,739,800 | 680,115,050 |
1. The figures for 1991-94 are outturn figures and have been taken from the relevant Court of Auditors report. The figures for 1995 and 1996 are taken from the adopted European Community Budgets for those years.
2. The figures for 1991-95 have been converted from ecu to sterling using the annual average exchange rate
(2). For 1996 the conversion rate used is that prevailing on the last working day of the last month of the previous year--29 December 1995--of £1=1.1803 ecu.
(3) 1991 £1=1.4284 ecu. 1992 £1=1.3620 ecu. 1993 £1=1.2845 ecu. 1994 £1=1.2924 ecu. 1995 £1=1.2211 ecu.
WALES
Community Care
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning care in the community in Wales. [21128]
Mr. Richards: Many more people are now being cared for in their own homes or in a homely environment in their local community. On the basis of figures supplied by the local authorities, in 1993-94 local authorities assessed 51,000 people for community care services and an estimated 30,000 were provided with care to help them stay in their own homes. In 1994-95 these increased to 66,000 and 32,000 respectively.
The unitary authorities will be even better placed to co-ordinate the range of care and support that vulnerable people need.
Competitive Tendering (Contracts)
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many contracts for goods or services have been awarded in each of the last three financial years by his Department and its executive agencies after competitive tendering; and what was the total combined value of these contracts. [21036]
Mr. Hague: All contracts for goods or services over £1,000 are subject to competitive tendering. Information in the form requested is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
General Practitioners
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning the supply of GPs in Wales. [21127]
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Mr. Richards: The number of GPs in Wales is 1,710--28 per cent. more than in 1979, when it was 1,339. The average list size continues to fall--from 2,133 in 1979 to 1,744 in 1995.
The Medical Practices Committee survey of GP recruitment last year concluded that there is a downward trend in the number of applicants for vacancies, but that there are still sufficient numbers for appointments to be made.
The Welsh Office is keeping a close eye on the situation, and has taken soundings from family health services authorities about the situation in their areas. These, together with the MPC findings, show that there is no overall shortage of GPs at national level although there are pockets of difficulty in certain places. The Welsh Office is exploring with the service ways in which we may alleviate these problems.
Mr. Morgan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those training and enterprise councils which have contracts with Firlands Training Ltd. The Firs, Whitchurch near Aylesbury under (a) the youth training scheme and (b) training for work. [21499]
Mr. Hague:
Contracts between training and enterprise councils and their training providers are matters for the parties concerned. Information on such contracts is not collected centrally.
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