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Ethnic Minorities
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many and what percentage of employees in her private office are (a) of Asian origin and (b) of Afro-Caribbean origin. [9574]
Clare Short: In my private office, one member of staff is of Asian origin--representing 10 per cent.--the staff and one is of Afro-Caribbean origin--10 per cent.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Millennium
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what grants (a) have been made and (b) are planned to be made in each year to 2001 by the Millennium Commission to (i) Millennium Central, (ii) Birmingham Millennium and (iii) other Millennium celebrations. [6061]
Mr. Chris Smith:
This is a matter for the Millennium Commission. I shall write to my hon. Friend in my capacity as chairman of the Commission, and place copies of my reply in the Libraries of the House.
24 Jul 1997 : Column: 718
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the special advisers in his Department, the Minister to whom each is responsible, the subjects on which they advise, and the number of advisers in his Department in the year up to 1 May. [5357]
Mr. Chris Smith:
There are two special advisers in my Department, John Newbigin and Julian Eccles, who advise me across the full range of the Department's responsibilities.
There were two special advisers employed by the previous administration in the year to May 1997, one from 25 March to 10 October 1996, and the other from 2 October 1996 to 6 April 1997.
Ms Roseanna Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what is the overall budget of the Millennium Commission; if he will list the projects which have been earmarked for funding; and how much has been granted to each project; [6124]
(3) if he will make a statement outlining the basis upon which the merit of an application for funding from the Millennium Commission is defined. [6126]
Mr. Chris Smith
[holding answer 3 July 1997]: This is a matter for the Millennium Commission. I shall write to the hon. Member in my capacity as chairman of the Commission, and place copies of my reply in the Libraries of the House.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list for each departmental policy review presently in progress or scheduled, (a) a description of the purpose of the review and (b) its expected date of completion. [10185]
Mr. Tom Clarke
[holding answer 22 July 1997]: In common with all other Departments, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is undertaking a comprehensive spending review which will look across the whole Department at its aims, objectives and spending priorities. That review is expected to be complete by spring 1998.
The Department is conducting a separate review of film policy, which will explore how to maximise the cultural and economic contribution of the British film industry and is expected to report in February. A review of the national lottery instigated in May has led to the publication, on 21 July, of "The People's Lottery" White Paper. That says that the Director-General of Oflot will be asked to review existing licence application procedures in the light of responses to the White Paper.
24 Jul 1997 : Column: 719
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Attorney-General if he will estimate the financial impact of using salaried counsel employed by the Crown Prosecution Service to represent all its cases in higher courts. [9860]
The Attorney-General:
No such estimate is available. The Lord Chancellor and the designated judges have still to take a decision on rights of audience for employed barristers.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Attorney-General what discussions he has had with the president of the independent tribunal service concerning the propriety of doctors who carry out medical examinations of disability living allowance claimants for the Benefits Agency being appointed as members of disability appeal tribunals. [10219]
The Attorney-General:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him today by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security.
(2) what percentage of awards from the Millennium Commission has been earmarked for projects in each of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England; and what percentage has been specifically earmarked for projects in London; [6125]
Fixed Telecommunications System
Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the defence fixed telecommunications system. [10868]
Mr. Spellar: The previous Government announced on 6 November 1996, Official Report, column 521 that they intended to commence contract negotiations for the defence fixed telecommunications system with the preferred bidder, the INCA consortium led by British Telecommunications plc.
Contractual negotiations have now been successfully completed and a 10-year contract, based on the principles of the private finance initiative, has been awarded to the consortium. Under the contract, which will be signed tomorrow, ownership of and responsibility for the operation and maintenance of most of the defence fixed telecommunications assets in Great Britain will pass to the private sector. This arrangement will enable the MOD to continue to reach the required levels of performance while benefiting from access to continually evolving technology.
The contract is worth more than £800 million, which makes it the largest MOD PFI deal so far. Savings to the MOD are estimated to be more than £100 million over the 10-year period of the contract.
The contractor will perform the work currently undertaken by about 1,200 civilian and service personnel. Where appropriate, the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 will apply. Where TUPE does not apply, the MOD will be taking all possible steps to minimise the effect on civilian staff in posts that lapse. Regrettably, the need for some compulsory redundancies among civilian staff cannot be ruled out. Military personnel occupying affected posts will be redeployed to other service duties.
24 Jul 1997 : Column: 720
Mr. Ainger:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 27 June, Official Report, column 662, if he is in a position to provide information on the fees paid to National Westminster Markets Ltd. for preparing and completing the asset sale of the Ministry of Defence married quarters estate to Annington Homes. [10936]
Mr. Spellar:
Fees paid to the National Westminster Markets Ltd. totalled £4,614,000 excluding VAT. This was a combination of monthly fixed-rate time-based fees and a commission of 0.1 per cent. of the sale price achieved for the MOD in excess of £520 million.
Mr. Ainger:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what decision he has made following the review of deductions made from the pay of officer prisoners of war and protected personnel in German and Italian hands during the second world war; and if he will make a statement. [10869]
Mr. Spellar:
My Department has conducted an extensive review of the issue of pay deductions from officer prisoners of war and protected personnel in German and Italian hands during the second world war and the subsequent arrangements for repayment. Overall, the review found no evidence of lack of care, of significant injustice or of grave financial disadvantage. The long and detailed report accepts that there were real difficulties but these were recognised at the time and reasonable steps were taken to minimise them. Accordingly, there is no basis for reopening the issue. I have placed a copy of the full report in the Library of the House.
I am writing to those individual right hon. and hon. Members who have a constituency interest. Former officer prisoners of war and protected personnel covered by the review and their families who have written direct to my Department will also be contacted to let them know the result of the review. I know and very much regret that the people who have had their hopes raised will be very disappointed. I must conclude that the contemporary evidence does not support the claims that have been made.
Copies of my foreword to the report are also being placed in the Vote Office.
Mr. Keith Simpson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the Army's future requirement for a main battle tank and the number to be ordered. [7824]
Dr. Reid:
On current plans, the Army's requirement for a main battle tank is to be met by procurement of 386 Challenger 2 tanks, which have already been ordered.
As I made clear in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Conwy (Mrs. Williams) on 10 July, Official Report, column 531, during the strategic defence review there will be no moratorium on defence procurement, and projects where contracts have already been placed will continue. Decisions on major equipment programmes not yet under contract will be considered on their individual circumstances in relation to progress with the review.
24 Jul 1997 : Column: 721
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