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OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

Indonesia

Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 24 February, Official Report, column 76, on the national police management training policy for Indonesia; if he will place a copy of the submission from the head of eastern Asia department in the Library. [20699]

Dr. Liam Fox: In my answer of 24 February, Official Report, column 76, I undertook to write to the hon. Member about the release of this document. I did so on 12 March and a copy of my letter has been placed in the Library of the House.

Decentralisation Support

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries received support from his Department for financial decentralisation in 1991. [20170]

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Dr. Liam Fox: The promotion of economic reform and other good government policies in developing countries and in the countries of central and eastern Europe and central Asia is one of the key aims of the UK development assistance programme. ODA funds are commonly used to promote public service reform, which includes delegated management. As a result, support for projects in this area, including for financial decentralisation, is a common feature of almost every bilateral assistance country programme. Precise details of the sort requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Great Lakes

Mr. Faulds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much of his Department's budget was allocated to the Great Lakes area of Africa in the last year (a) bilaterally and (b) multilaterally; and if he will make a statement. [20103]

Dr. Liam Fox: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Newham, North-East (Mr. Timms) on 27 January, Official Report column 14.

Trade Union Movements (Aid)

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list for 1991 those countries whose trade union movements received support from his Department. [20105]

Dr. Liam Fox: Under the joint funding scheme, the following countries and regions received support during the funding period 1990-91 to 1991-92:


Under the workers group development scheme, the following countries and regions received support during the funding period 1991-92 to 1993-94:



    South Africa
    Namibia
    Botswana
    Zambia
    Zimbabwe
    Africa (Regional)
    India
    Occupied Territories
    Barbados
    Montserrat
    Guyana
    Caribbean (Regional).

In 1991, information about support for trade union movements drawing on other funding sources was not recorded centrally. It would involve disproportionate cost to collate such information now.

Rwanda

Mr. Faulds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had

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with the Rwandan Government concerning international assistance for returning refugees; and if he will make a statement. [20104]

Dr. Liam Fox: HM ambassador in Kigali has regular discussions with the Government of Rwanda, international aid agencies and non-governmental organisations on Rwanda's rehabilitation needs, including assistance for the resettlement of returning refugees. Since 1995 we have committed nearly £20 million bilaterally in support of Rwanda's rehabilitation programme and £18.5 million as our contribution to EU rehabilitation assistance.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Millennium Exhibition

Mr. Spellar: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Romford (Sir M. Neubert) of 3 March, Official Report, column 497, on the millennium exhibition, if he will make a statement on the methodology by which the figure of 10 million expected visitors was determined. [19834]

Mr. Freeman: A MORI poll conducted by the operating company before Christmas indicated potential visitor numbers of 13.5 million could be achieved if efforts were made to maximise attendance. The original indicative budget produced by Millennium Central Limited was prepared on this basis. As part of the process of refining the indicative budget, the amount to be expended on maximising visitor numbers was reduced and the estimate of visitor numbers was reduced accordingly to 10 million.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

Dr. Marek: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what guidance he has issued to non-departmental public bodies following the Cadbury and Greenbury reports; and if the guidance reflects all the recommendations in those reports. [20432]

Mr. Freeman: Following the publication of the Cadbury report and its recommended code of best practice, the Treasury prepared a model code of best practice for board members of public bodies, which was issued in June 1994. This applied the Cadbury principles, where appropriate, to members of public bodies such as executive non-departmental public bodies. The model code has recently been revised and replaced by guidance on codes of practice for board members of public bodies, which was published by the Cabinet Office (OPS) in February 1997 in the White Paper "The Governance of Public Bodies: A Progress Report", Cm 3557. New or revised codes, taking account of the guidance and tailored to the particular circumstances of the body, should be in place for all executive NDPBs by 1 June 1997.

No specific guidance has been issued to NDPBs following the Greenbury report. Responsibility for the pay and conditions of service of chairmen and board members of executive NDPBs is primarily a matter for sponsor Departments. Remuneration of chairman, board member and chief executive appointments to NDPBs is published in "Public Bodies 1996", copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

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Dr. Marek: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he is taking to ensure that non-executive directors appointed to non-departmental public bodies do not have previous contractual arrangements with the body concerned. [20431]

Mr. Freeman: Previous contractual arrangements with a non-departmental public body should not automatically debar a candidate from subsequent appointment to it. Whether any potential conflicts of interest exist is a matter which should be determined by the selection procedure for the appointment in question, for example by a selection board during an interview of the candidate. The Commissioner for Public Appointments will be considering whether this matter should be covered in his revised guidance, which is due to be published in July 1997. Guidance to NDPBs on handling conflicts of interest has recently been revised as part of the guidance on codes of practice for board members of public bodies, published last month in the White Paper "The Governance of Public Bodies: A Progress Report", Cm 3557.

Open Government

Mr. Pawsey: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the operation of the code of practice on access to Government information during 1996. [20732]

Mr. Freeman: I have today announced the publication of the Government's report on the operation of the code of practice during 1996, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House.

Public Record Office

Sir Colin Shepherd: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the future of the public record office in Chancery lane. [20745]

Mr. Freeman: The public record office in Chancery lane will shortly be vacated.

Discussions are taking place with the Victoria and Albert museum about the possibility of relocating the national art library and the Victoria and Albert archive of art and design to this building, but it is too early to say whether these will lead to a successful conclusion.

The Government are aware of the heritage of this building and will make every effort to ensure its preservation.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

Dance and Drama School Places

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will make a statement on the new interim scheme to assist young people to take up places at dance and drama schools. [20824]

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley: On 14 October, I announced plans to help more students take up places at accredited dance and drama training schools in England using funding from the national lottery and the Department of Education and Employment, in partnership with local authorities. I am delighted that the Arts Council of England has now announced the operational details of the

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interim scheme, following close consultation with local authority associations and representatives of the dance and drama constituencies. I am sure that the House shares my pleasure that, through the lottery, it has been possible to create an opportunity for more talented students to pursue their training.


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