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Equal Opportunities
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide a breakdown of (a) the numbers and (b) the percentages, of police officers according to their grade, by (i) gender and (ii) ethnic origin. [14979]
Mr. Michael: The latest available information is given in the table.
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Quangos
Mr. Terry Lewis: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what proposals he has to make quangos more open, accountable and effective. [15848]
Dr. David Clark: The Government are determined to make quangos more accountable for what they do, more open in how they do it and more effective in achieving their aims. I am pleased to announce the publication today of the consultation paper "Opening up Quangos", which builds on the valuable work done by the Committee on Standards in Public Life under Lord Nolan's chairmanship.
Our proposals mark a new phase in opening up quangos to public scrutiny and making them more accountable to the people they serve. The Government's devolution policy will help to bring quangos in Scotland and Wales under the proper level of scrutiny that a modern democracy demands. Our purpose is the same for public bodies which operate on a United Kingdom or Great Britain basis, or an England or England and Wales basis. The proposals in the consultation paper will help to achieve this.
Copies of the consultation paper are being widely circulated and placed on the Internet, as well as in the House libraries. Copies will be sent personally to all right hon. and hon. Members. The results of the consultation exercise will be taken into account in the preparation of the Government's White Paper on Better Government, due to be published next year.
I am also pleased to announce the publication today of "The Executive Non-Departmental Public Bodies 1997 Report", which summarises for the first time the main objectives and achievements of the larger executive non-departmental public bodies, charting their performance against key targets. This is the first of a series of annual publications that will develop in detail and coverage in future years and improve measurement of the performance of public bodies.
Mr. MacShane:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list (a) the nature and value of contracts his Department has entered into and (b) discussions ministers or officials have held with the Monitor Consultancy since 1990. [14958]
Mr. Kilfoyle
[holding answer 7 November 1997]: The Cabinet Office, including the Office of Public Service and its agencies (Civil Service College, Property Advisers to the Civil Estate, Security Facilities Executive, the Buying Agency, Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency and Government Car and Despatch Agency) and
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the Central Office of Information, have no record of entering into any contracts or of holding any discussions with Monitor Consultancy since 1990.
Mr. Stunell:
To ask the Prime Minister what is the composition of the United Kingdom delegation to the Climate Change Conference at Kyoto; and if he will make a statement. [15589]
The Prime Minister:
My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the Minister for the Environment, accompanied of officials, will represent the United Kingdom at the third Conference of the Parties to the Climate Change Convention.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Prime Minister what monitoring is undertaken of the ethnic balance among staff whose salaries are paid from the Civil List; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of such staff who are from ethnic minorities. [15432]
The Prime Minister:
The Personnel Office at Buckingham Palace maintains records of the ethnic origin of all Royal Household employees including those whose salaries are paid from the Civil List. Currently approximately 3 per cent. of Civil List employees are from ethnic minorities. The Royal Household is an equal opportunities employer (that is to say appointment and promotion are on ability without regard to sex, ethnic origin or religion).
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Prime Minister if the forthcoming White Paper on Freedom of Information will consider the answering practices of the Minister without Portfolio. [14515]
The Prime Minister
[holding answer 10 November 1997]: No.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the decision of the Minister without Portfolio to give no information in respect of conversations, meetings or other engagements undertaken in pursuance of his duties as Minister without Portfolio and its consistency with parliamentary accountability. [14523]
The Prime Minister
[holding answer 10 November 1997]: No.
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Mr. Clifton-Brown:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list all (a) secondary, (b) other delegated legislation and (c) all deregulation orders his Department made during the summer adjournment. [14377]
Mr. Tom Clarke:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 5 November 1997, Official Report, column 216.
Mr. Woolas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the educational benefits of the millennium projects. [13396]
Mr. Chris Smith:
The Millennium Commission has always been committed to supporting projects which provide access to information and sources of learning, and education has emerged as one of five key themes in the Commission's grant programmes. For example, over £33 million has been offered in grant to the new University for the Highlands and Islands, and most of the larger funded projects have a major educational element. The Government intends that the Millennium Experience and its associated national programme will have a significant educational aspect for visitors and participants, as well as being entertaining. It is envisaged that the Dome at Greenwich will become the hub of a new national digital network for learning.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received concerning changes to the listing of sports events for broadcast on terrestrial television channels; and if he will make a statement. [14982]
Mr. Fisher:
Since the current review of the listed events was announced in May, some 609 representations have been received on this subject, including 18 letters from hon. Members. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be making a statement shortly.
Mr. Dafis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received on the showing of violent films on national television, with particular reference to "Natural Born Killers"; and if he will make a statement. [14812]
Mr. Fisher:
The Department has received 17 letters about violence on television in the last three months. One of the letters received this month referred specifically to the film "Natural Born Killers" to be shown on Channel 5 on 8 November.
A working party established by the broadcasting regulators is currently pursuing initiatives to meet public concern about the portrayal of violence and I understand that it is likely to report its conclusions early in the new year.
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Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Government are taking to support National Libraries Week. [14980]
Mr. Fisher:
The Government wholeheartedly supports National Libraries Week and has been actively involved with the preparations for it. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State wrote to all MPs to publicise National Libraries Week, and to encourage them to become involved in library events in their constituencies. He also launched the Week at the House of Commons on Monday 3 November. DCMS Ministers have subsequently been involved in a number of other related events during the Week.
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