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Fair Trade (Coffee and Tea)

Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the oral Statement by the Secretary State for International Development, Official Report, 5 November, column 332, if she will instruct officials to serve coffee and tea furnished by suppliers who adhere to fair trade standards in her Department. [15498]

Mr. Field: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer the Prime Minister has given today. All procurement decisions in this Department are based on the Government's policy of value for money.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Tax Advice

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the policy of his Deparmtent on the purchase of tax avoidance advice; and if he will make a statement. [13260]

Mr. Tony Lloyd [holding answer 5 November 1997]: A non-departmental public body sponsored by this Department sought external advice in 1995-96, 1996-97 and 1997-98 to enable it to comply with its statutory tax obligations. This Department has in 1997-98 sought limited external advice on issues arising under another country's tax laws. In neither case was this advice sought for tax avoidance purposes.

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the expenditure by (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies, on (i) tax consultants and (ii) other external tax advice in (1) 1995-96, (2) 1996-97 and (3) 1997-98; and if he will make a statement. [13259]

13 Nov 1997 : Column: 637

Mr. Tony Lloyd [holding answer 5 November 1997]: Spending by this Department, its executive agency, and non-departmental public bodies on tax consultants and other external tax advice was as follows:

	1995-96	1996-97	1997-98
(a) FCO
(i) Consultants	0	0	0
(ii) Other	0	0	(11)£7,000
(b) Agency
(i) Consultants	0	0	0
(ii) Other	0	0	0
(c) NDPBs
(i) Consultants	0	£5,827	£2,702
(ii) Other	0	0	0

(11) Estimate.

Nuclear Weapons

Mr. Canavan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy on the resolution to be considered by the First Committee of the UN General Assembly on the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons. [14721]

Mr. Tony Lloyd: We are committed to the goal of nuclear disarmament and continue to hold the International Court of Justice in high regard. We have said that we will press for multilateral negotiations towards mutual, balanced and verifiable reductions in nuclear weapons and, when satisfied with progress, will ensure that British nuclear weapons are included in multilateral negotiations. We will, however, vote against the resolution because of its selective quotation of the International Court of Justice's Advisory Opinion on the threat or use of nuclear weapons, and its unrealistic call for time-bound multilateral negotiations.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list (a) his Department's policies and initiatives designed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and (b) the departmental policies and initiatives designed to reduce other greenhouse gases; if he will estimate for each the annual reduction in tonnage of greenhouse gas emissions achieved in the most recent year for which figures are available compared to those for 1990; and what estimate he has made of further reductions, or increases, predicted for 2000 and 2010, assuming continuation of current policies. [15543]

Mr. Fatchett: I refer the hon. Member to the United Kingdom's Second Report under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change which was published in February 1997. It reports the UK's progress in implementing its programme for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and gives a projection of what the programme is expected to deliver by 2000. The report projects forward what the current programme is expected to achieve to 2020.

13 Nov 1997 : Column: 638

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Belarus

Mr. Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the support the United Kingdom is giving to the Republic of Belarus in respect of the effects of the Chernobyl disaster on Belarussian children. [15824]

Clare Short: The Untied Kingdom is providing support through the European Commission and other international agencies such as the World Health Organisation for a range of programmes in Belarus designed to ameliorate the effects of the Chernobyl disaster. We have previously provided support directly through our own Environmental Know How Fund for post-Chernobyl programmes, including food screening for radioactive contamination.

Southern Sudan

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will extend short-term emergency aid to the people of the Western Equatorial region in Southern Sudan; and if she will make a statement. [14830]

Clare Short: We are ready to consider proposals put to us to help alleviate the suffering of victims of short-time emergencies in the Western Equatorial region in Southern Sudan. We have already supported three non-governmental Organisation projects in the region this year.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Gender Awareness Training (Judiciary)

Mr. McDonnell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will establish gender awareness training for all the judiciary. [15022]

Mr. Hoon: Judicial training is the responsibility of the Judicial Studies Board (JSB), which is a non-departmental governmental body. It has held a number of sessions in both induction and continuation training on equal treatment, including gender awareness, and is considering how training in this area might be developed.

Lay Magistrate training is delivered by Magistrates' Courts' Committees but the JSB has a role is setting the syllabus. Lay Magistrates already address the issue of equal treatment for all in the light of their judicial oath and the JSB has recently begun a study to identify the skills and knowledge required by Lay Magistrates to ensure equality of treatment for all who appear in their courts.

Fair Trade (Coffee and Tea)

Mr. MacShane: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to the oral Statement by the Secretary of State for International Development, Official Report, 5 November, column 332, if he will instruct officials to serve coffee and tea furnished by suppliers who adhere to fair trade standards in his Department. [15494]

13 Nov 1997 : Column: 639

Mr. Hoon: I refer to the answer which the Prime Minister has given today. All procurement decisions in my Department are based on the Government's policy of value for money.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Prison Service

Ms Beverley Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the Annual Report and Accounts for the Prison Service. [16411]

Mr. Straw: I am pleased to report that I have today published the Prison Service Report and Accounts for 1996-97, along with those for 1995-96. Copies have been placed in the Library.

In future, we will aim to publish Prison Service Annual Reports and Accounts within six months of the end of the financial year.

Lottery Draws

Ms Beverley Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he intends to take to prevent frequent lottery draws in pubs and other premises. [16435]

Mr. George Howarth: The Government have given careful consideration to the issues raised by frequent lottery draws in premises.

The Gaming Board has expressed serious concern to the Government about plans by a company which runs lotteries on behalf of charities under the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976 to run frequent on-line lotteries in a range of outlets, including pubs and clubs.

The 1976 Act did not contemplate on-line lotteries, and therefore does nothing to prevent them. The use of on-line technology would allow the promotion of successive large scale lottery draws, in a series running through the day, simultaneously in a large number of different outlets.

Such rapid draw lotteries would thus have many of the characteristics of hard gambling. Their unrestricted availability to the public in high streets and neighbourhoods raises serious issues of gambling control.

Such a development in pubs where, of course, alcohol is available, and other public places, would undermine the long-standing policy which this Government fully support, that the harder forms of gambling should be confined to premises specially licensed for gambling, and with appropriate controls.

Under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993, the then Secretary of State for National Heritage used his powers to direct the Director General of the National Lottery not to license games which encourage excessive participation. The Director General himself has made it clear that he does not consider that rapid play lotteries are an appropriate development for the National Lottery.

However, the 1976 Act needs to be strengthened to give sufficient protection in the case of other lotteries.

We therefore propose to introduce legislation to amend the 1976 Act to restrict frequent lottery draws. The measures, which will be introduced in Parliament as soon

13 Nov 1997 : Column: 640

as possible, will not interfere with existing conventional lotteries run for charitable or other purposes. It will only restrict new forms of rapid draw lottery.

The Government recognise that these lotteries could raise additional money for charities but, given the social risks, we do not consider that the new type of lottery would be an acceptable development. Since this will be primary legislation, those with an interest will have every opportunity to put their points of view in Parliament on the principle and the detail. I am also proposing to publish the legislation in draft form to allow interested parties a few weeks in which to make any representations.

I have placed in the Library an explanatory document which sets out the position in more detail.

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