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Heritage Lottery Awards
Sir Patrick Cormack: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many of the heritage lottery awards made to date have been claimed in full; and what proportion this represents of the total awards in terms of (a) number and (b) amount. [10824]
Mr. Sproat [holding answer 20 January 1997]: To date the heritage lottery fund has announced awards to 605 projects totalling £370,912,187. Full payments have been made to 77 projects worth £31,071,205--that is, 13 per cent. of the total number and 8 per cent. of the total amount.
A further 294 projects have received first payments totalling £92,655,186.
Consultants
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what estimates she has made of the amount spent on external consultants by her Department's non-departmental public bodies in each of the last five years. [10158]
Mr. Sproat [holding answer 13 January 1997]: No such estimates have been made. However, the available information provided by my Department's non-departmental public bodies is given in the following table:
| Financial year | Expenditure in £ million |
|---|---|
| 1991-92 | 9.2 |
| 1992-93 | 9.2 |
| 1993-94 | 11.4 |
| 1994-95 | 12.5 |
| 1995-96 | 16.0 |
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ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Behaviourally Disturbed Young People
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones: To ask the Attorney-General if he will introduce measures to ensure that (a) the police and (b) the Crown Prosecution Service obtain an assessment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder for children and adolescents convicted of more than three crimes; and if he will make a statement. [11535]
Mr. Maclean: I have been asked to reply.
The Cambridge study of delinquent development, which was largely funded by the Home Office, found, amongst other results, that the incidence of hyperactivity, attention deficit and impulsivity at age eight to 10 years independently predicted future juvenile convictions. However, the causes of juvenile delinquency are complex and wide ranging, and hyperactivity is only one of many. The Government have no plans to amend their policies in the manner suggested by the hon. Member.
Discontinued Cases
Mr. Cox: To ask the Attorney-General (1) what is the number and percentage of cases that have been (a) discontinued and (b) written off in magistrates courts in England and Wales in each year since 1986; and if he will make a statement; [10920]
- (2) what assessment he has made of the reasons for the increase in the number of cases written off in table 6.2 of "Criminal Statistics England and Wales for 1995"; and if he will make a statement. [10921]
The Attorney General: The information requested is available in a consistent format only from 1991 when the present method of recording was adopted. Figures since that date were as follows:
21 Jan 1997 : Column: 533
| Year ending September | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discontinued | 187.399 | 185.824 | 159.085 | 158.594 | 153.468 |
| Percentage of completed cases | 12.8 | 13.4 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 12 |
| Written off | 84.379 | 103.323 | 119.598 | 133.303 | 110.454 |
| Percentage of completed cases | 5.8 | 7.4 | 8.9 | 10 | 8.6 |
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A case "written off" is not thereby terminated. The majority occur when defendants cannot be traced by the police or a warrant for arrest remains unexecuted. Such cases can recommence if and when the defendant can be traced.
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In most cases the reason for discontinuance is that it becomes impossible to proceed further because, for example, key witnesses fail to appear at court, refuse to give evidence or change their story; because defendants produce driving documents at court and so establish their
21 Jan 1997 : Column: 535
innocence; or because of evidential gaps in the prosecution case which cannot be filled by the police. Whenever possible, in practice in around 75 per cent. of such cases, the Crown Prosecution Service will consult the police before discontinuance and a survey in 1994 showed that the police objected initially to discontinuance in only 4 per cent. of cases when consulted.
EU Parliamentary Building
Mr. Porter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what representations his officials have made to other EU Governments about the necessity of a new EU parliamentary building in (a) Brussels and (b) Strasbourg; and if he will make a statement; [11105]
- (2) what representations he and his officials made to monitor the spending of United Kingdom public funds on the new European Union Parliament building in Brussels; and if he will make a statement. [11107]
Mr. David Davis: The United Kingdom has consistently pressed for value for money and sound financial practice in all European institutions. Overall ceilings for expenditure are set by the Council, but within that, spending by the European Parliament on building and other programmes is a matter for the Parliament in the first place, subject to scrutiny of its spending by the European Court of Auditors. We have not made separate representations.
Mr. Porter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list an inventory of internal fixtures and fittings and building costs, in sterling, of the new European Union Parliament in Brussels; what has been the cost to United Kingdom public funds; and if he will make a statement. [11106]
Mr. Davis: Title 2 of section 1 of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 1996--Official Journal of the European Committees, volume 39 of 29 January 1996--gives details of the
- "buildings, equipment and miscellaneous operating expenditure" of the European Parliament.
The United Kingdom's contribution to the 1996 EU budget represented 15 per cent. of the budget.
Mr. Porter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is (a) the total cost and (b) the cost to British public funds of building the new European Union Parliament building in Brussels; and if he will make a statement. [11108]
Mr. Davis:
The total cost of the new European Parliament building in Brussels was estimated to be 831 million ecu, or £612.7 million, by the European Commission on 29 October 1996.
The UK's contribution to the 1996 EU budget represented 15 per cent. of the budget.
21 Jan 1997 : Column: 536
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the future of the United Nations mission in Angola. [11840]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor:
The UN Security Council will discuss soon the future of the UN mission in Angola--UNAVEM III. We envisage that following the progressive withdrawal of UNAVEM III at the end of its mandate--28 February 1997--a residual UN presence will continue to be needed. This will probably include a political component, human rights monitors and military and police observers.
Sir Alan Haselhurst:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the committee established by the Government to inquire into controls and procedures relating to trafficking in arms reported; what are its main conclusions; and if he will make a statement. [12263]
Mr. Rifkind:
Following media reports linking British companies to the supply of arms in contravention of UN embargoes to Rwandan extremists in Zaire, the Government announced on 19 November that they had established an inter-departmental committee to examine rigorously the United Kingdom's procedures in relation to trafficking in arms and to determine whether there had been a gap in controls, and if so what action needed to be taken. The committee's terms of reference were given to the House in a written answer from the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Official Report, 11 December 1997, columns 270-71.
The committee's report was submitted on 17 December. It notes that Customs investigators are seeking to establish whether there have been any illegal acts coming within the United Kingdom's jurisdiction. It would not be appropriate to comment further on Customs and Excise investigations at this stage.
The UN arms embargo on Rwanda was not implemented in the Crown dependencies, and there was also a delay in its implementation in the dependent territories. The gap in controls, which the report notes was a narrow one, has already been put right as recommended by the committee. Consideration is also being given to whether the precise terms of the existing Orders in Council implementing the UN arms embargo against Rwanda are adequate.
The committee reached four main conclusions: first, that there had been a lack of consistency in implementing embargoes in the UK, its dependent territories, and the Crown dependencies; secondly, that there were no structured arrangements for ensuring the timely and accurate imposition of embargoes; thirdly, that there was a need for greater clarity and transparency on the scope of the embargoes; finally, that under current UK legislation, trafficking could be prohibited only in relation to binding UN arms embargos.
21 Jan 1997 : Column: 537
The committee recommended that:
(a) The UN arms embargoes against Rwanda, Somalia and Liberia should be implemented in the Crown dependencies as soon as possible. The necessary orders were made on 19 December.
The Government have endorsed the committee's report, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House, and will be implementing its recommendations.
(b) All future binding UN arms embargoes should be applied promptly in the UK and in Crown dependencies and the dependent territories, in accordance with HMG's international obligations.
(c) As a matter of policy, all other arms embargoes should be applied promptly in the UK, the Crown dependencies and the dependent territories, in consultation with the dependent territories concerned.
(d) An inter-departmental committee, chaired by the Cabinet Office, should co-ordinate the introduction, application, amendment and lifting of all arms embargoes, including their scope and announcement.
(e) This committee should also consider the preparation of a public document, which would set out the basis and scope of all current arms embargoes and which would be kept up to date.
(f) It should be determined, as a matter of priority, whether the precise terms of the Order in Council implementing the UN arms embargo against Rwanda are adequate and any necessary remedial action taken.
(g) A considered assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of primary legislation to prohibit arms trafficking, taking account of the factors identified in this report, should be conducted as part of the current Government review of strategic export controls.
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