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Read Codes System
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 2 May, Official Report, column 608, if he will list each hospital participating in the development of the Read codes project; which aspects of its application each hospital was deemed to be piloting; and when each pilot project was due to start and finish. [28935]
Mr. Horam [holding answer 10 May 1996]: The hospitals concerned have requested that their details are not divulged until the project has been completed.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
Know-how Fund
33. Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what new proposals he has to extend the work of the know-how fund in the Baltic states. [27700]
Mr. Hanley: We are starting a regional project covering all three Baltic states in public administration development. Through this and other initiatives, the know-how fund will continue to provide rapid and flexible assistance to the reform process in the Baltic states. The countries concerned very much welcome our support.
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what occasion and in relation to which contracts, contracts sponsored under the know-how fund in Moscow in the last five years were allocated and subsequently extended without being the subject of tendering or re-tendering procedures. [29237]
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Mr. Hanley: Of the 1,574 contracts the know-how fund has issued over the last five years, 1,256 contracts were awarded without a requirement to tender. This includes contracts issued to nominated individuals, low-value contracts where the costs of a competition would outweigh potential savings, and cost-sharing contracts.
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will list the United Kingdom contractors and consultants who have been engaged on know-how fund sponsored food distribution projects and training projects in Moscow during the last five years; [29235]
- (2) on what occasions and in relation to which contracts United Kingdom contractors and consultants who have been engaged on know-how fund sponsored contracts in the last five years were given such contracts without a requirement to tender; [29236]
(3) if he will list the projects funded during the last five years by the know-how fund relating to (a) food distribution in Moscow and (b) training in Moscow. [29234]
Mr. Hanley: The answers could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Nigeria
Sir Michael Grylls: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date the British high commissioner returned to Nigeria; what steps he is taking to encourage the restoration of democracy in that country; and on what date he expects the Nigerian high commissioner to return to London. [29010]
Mr. Hanley: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Stretford (Mr. Lloyd) on 19 February, column 22. The Nigerian authorities have given us no indication of a date for the return of the Nigerian high commissioner to London.
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had, and with whom, on the current regime in Nigeria. [28600]
Mr. Hanley: We continue to consult closely with Commonwealth, European Union and other partners on all aspects of our policy towards Nigeria.
Human Rights Monitors (Africa)
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the number of British sponsored and financed human rights monitors in Africa; and if he will list the countries in which they are working. [28599]
Mr. Hanley: UN human rights monitors are deployed in Rwanda and Burundi.
Rwanda has 101 human rights monitors in the field. The UK is the largest bilateral donor and has contributed £3 million since 1995 towards the cost of the operation. The UK also contributes through the European Union, which is funding 11 of the UN monitors, rising to 27 at the end of May.
In Burundi the first four UN monitors, funded by the European Union, were deployed in April 1996.
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Mr. Mullin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance is being provided to (a) agencies involved in demining and (b) the victims of land mines; and if he will make a statement. [27697]
Mr. Hanley:
Since April 1993, the ODA has funded mine clearing operations totalling nearly £17 million, including the UK share of European Community-funded projects. Details of these commitments have been placed in the Library of the House.
We recognise the need for both post-trauma and longer-term assistance to land mine victims. We support medical care and rehabilitation through contributions to the International Committee of the Red Cross and non-governmental organisations. Longer-term needs to promote self-help and economic independence are addressed through country development programmes.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of vector-borne diseases in Iraq with particular reference to (a) malaria and (b) visceral leishmaniasis. [27764]
Mr. Hanley:
We have not been invited to undertake an assessment of either malaria or visceral leishmaniasis in Iraq. An intensive spraying programme in northern Iraq, funded by the European Community, led to a dramatic decrease in malaria, from 65,000 cases in 1994 to 38,000 in 1995. No deaths have been reported. We understand that there are sufficient stocks of insecticide for 1996. Available information suggests that there was a decrease in leishmaniasis between 1992 and 1994--the last year for which we have information.
Mr. Battle:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what tonnages of stockpiled coal are presently held by (a) Powergen, (b) National Power, (c) Scottish Power, (d) British Steel and (e) private mine owners. [27301]
Mr. Page:
Latest available data are for the end of February 1996 when stocks of coal held by electricity generators totalled 7,413,000 tonnes, stocks at coke ovens totalled 1,155,000 tonnes, and stocks at collieries and opencast sites totalled 5,984,000 tonnes. Figures for individual companies are commercially sensitive and cannot be disclosed.
Mr. Battle:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to change existing legislation regarding the sale of aerial shell fireworks to the public. [27299]
Mr. John M. Taylor:
On 28 March, I announced that my Department would be undertaking a comprehensive review of the voluntary and legislative measures dealing with the availability of fireworks to the public. The review will consider, among other issues, the current classification system of fireworks including the treatment
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of aerial shells. My Department will seek views from a wide range of interested organisations during the summer and I will then consider possible was in which the current measures might be improved.
Mrs. Clwyd:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade,if he will place in the Library copies of the documentation held by his Department relating to the industrial death and retirement fund. [28888]
Mr. Page:
British Coal remains liable to meet all entitlements under the industrial death and retirement scheme--which closed in January 1995. I understand that the chairman has written to the hon. Member previously explaining British Coal's disclosure practice and, given the essentially commercial nature of the arrangements, it would not be appropriate to make these papers more generally available.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to the letter of 19 February from the Under-Secretary of State for Science and Technology, what action he is taking in European Telecommunications Standards Institute for the publication of the de facto standards in relation to intellectual property in the telecommunications industry; and if he will make a statement. [27933]
Mr. Ian Taylor:
The European Telecommunications Standards Institute is the main body in Europe producing telecommunications standards. It has a membership of some 30 Governments and 370 private and public telecommunications companies.
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