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Hospital Payphones (Charges)
Mr. Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will instruct NHS hospital trusts that normal BT call-box charges should apply to all payphones within hospitals. [17395]
Mr. Horam: This is a matter for local management.
GP Fundholders
Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioner fundholders there were in each health authority in England in each of the past five years. [17463]
Mr. Malone: For current year information on the number of fundholding general practitioners in each health authority, I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith) on 17 February 1997 at columns 378-80. The corresponding figures for previous years will be placed in the Library shortly.
Gastroschisis
Mr. Austin-Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the possible link between incidences of gastroschisis and pollution and other environmental factors. [17277]
Mr. Horam:
None.
24 Feb 1997 : Column: 75
Rwanda
32. Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evaluation has been made by Her Majesty's Government of the joint aid agencies report, "Joint Evaluation of Emergency Assistance to Rwanda"; and what subsequent change of policy has been (a) evaluated and (b) decided arising from that report. [15553]
Dr. Liam Fox: We have reviewed the findings of the Rwanda evaluation and are pursuing lessons learnt in consultation with other aid donors, for many of the recommendations require wider discussion and broad consensus. We have also initiated a review of our own humanitarian aid policy particularly in relation to multilateral agencies, in order to seek improvements in international systems for the delivery of emergency humanitarian assistance.
Overseas Aid Budget (United Nations Target)
Mr. Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received concerning the overseas aid budget and the UN target for development expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product. [15548]
Dr. Liam Fox: We have received a number of representations from hon. Members and others concerning the development assistance budget, many of which have referred to the UN 0.7 per cent. ODA-GNP target.
Iraq
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received regarding assistance for children in Iraq. [15554]
Dr. Liam Fox: After considering various representations and proposals, ODA spent £1.7 million in 1996 on activities which directly benefited children in Iraq. ODA is ready to provide further funding in 1997. To alleviate the suffering of the Iraqi people caused by Saddam Hussein the UN adopted Security Council resolution 986--which the United Kingdom co-sponsored--in April 1995; we are pleased it is now being implemented after long delays by Saddam Hussein.
Indonesia
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what advice was given to the Minister by his officials and officials from other Departments, before the approval of the national police training project in Indonesia; and if he will place a copy of the documentary record of such advice in the Library; [17227]
- (2) if he will place in the Library copies of the documents referred to in (a) paragraph 40, on the benefits of the aid project and (b) appendix 3, paragraph 3.4 on seeking further Indonesian purchasers of United Kingdom defence equipment, of the NAO report, Aid to Indonesia, (HC101 of Session 1996-97). [17228]
Dr. Liam Fox:
I will write to the hon. Member.
24 Feb 1997 : Column: 76
Mrs. Clywd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what procedures were followed in order to obtain ministerial approval for the national police training project in Indonesia; on what date the project was approved by the Minister; which Minister approved the project; what meetings took place between the Minister and his officials, and officials from other Departments in relation to the approval of the project; who attended those meetings; and if he will place copies of (a) the minutes and (b) other documentary records of the meetings in the Library. [17145]
Dr. Fox:
As stated in paragraph 39 of the National Audit Office report, "Aid to Indonesia" (HC 101 of Session 1996-97), the national police management training project in Indonesia was approved by the head of eastern Asia department of the Overseas Development Administration. In September 1982 the right hon. Sir Neil Marten, the then Minister for Overseas Development, approved the project in principle. This was on the basis of a submission by the head of EAD. No meetings took place between the Minister and officials to discuss the project.
I will write to the hon. Member about the release of this document.
Beef Imports (Irish Republic)
Mr. Gill: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of beef imported from the Irish Republic is derived from cattle under 30 months of age. [14771]
Mrs. Browning: Statistics on imports of beef are not collected by age of cattle. It is not therefore possible to provide the information requested.
However, the Fresh Meat (Beef Controls) Regulations 1996 prohibit the sale for human consumption of all meat derived from bovines which, at the time of slaughter, were more than 30 months old. This measure applied to bovines slaughtered on or after 29 March 1996, whether in the UK or overseas, other than those born, reared and slaughtered in those third countries specifically excluded by the regulations and listed in the schedule to the regulations. This list of countries is confined to those where the Government are satisfied that we can import beef without risk. It does not include the Republic of Ireland.
Animal Exports
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many (a) sheep, (b) calves and (c) pigs were exported from the United Kingdom in each month of 1996 for (i) slaughter, (ii) further fattening and (iii) breeding; [13543]
- (2) how many piglets of less than 12 weeks of age were exported for production or breeding during 1996; [14605]
(3) how many pigs were exported for slaughter during 1996. [14606]
Mrs. Browning
[holding answer 31 January 1997]: This information can be provided in the detail requested only at disproportionate cost. Figures for exports of sheep
24 Feb 1997 : Column: 77
and cattle are given in the table. The information was gathered from internal Ministry sources. Most of the animals were exported for slaughter or further fattening.
| 1996 | Sheep | Cattle |
|---|---|---|
| January | 57,300 | 35,500 |
| February | 24,200 | 20,000 |
| March | 20,000 | 12,600 |
| April | 300 | 0 |
| May | 68 | 0 |
| June | 2,500 | 0 |
| July | 152,500 | 0 |
| August | 127,300 | 0 |
| September | 131,200 | 0 |
| October | 121,500 | 0 |
| November | 93,000 | 0 |
| December | 75,500 | 0 |
24 Feb 1997 : Column: 78
These figures remain provisional and subject to amendment.
Figures on the export of pigs are incomplete. I will write to the hon. Member when we have more information.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total amount paid as compensation for (a) poultry, (b) cattle and (c) other animals as a result of the slaughter of diseased or suspected diseased animals in each year from 1985 to 1991; and if he will make a statement. [15713]
Mrs. Browning:
The information requested on slaughter compensation is as follows:
24 Feb 1997 : Column: 77
| £000s | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-86 | 1986-87 | 1987-88 | 1988-89 | 1989-90 | 1990-91 | 1991-92 | |
| (a) Poultry | -- | -- | -- | 4 | 1,237 | 1,779 | 1,709 |
| (b) Cattle | 1,819 | 682 | 372 | 1,463 | 4,797 | 12,440 | 27,699 |
| (c) Others | -- | 458 | 277 | -- | 169 | 116 | 8 |
| Total | 1,819 | 1,140 | 649 | 1,467 | 6,203 | 14,335 | 29,416 |
24 Feb 1997 : Column: 77
Minimum Age Requirements
Mr. Barry Field: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the minimum age requirements enforced by his Department. [15925]
Mr. Boswell: Details of minimum age requirements enforced by my Department are given in the table.
24 Feb 1997 : Column: 78
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