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Defence Diversification Agency
Mr. Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to establish a defence diversification agency or similar organisation; and if he will make a statement. [24838]
Mr. Spellar: I expect to announce soon the publication date of a consultative Green Paper setting out our proposals for defence diversification.
Nuclear Weapons (Transport)
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 12 November 1997, Official Report, columns 580-81, when his Department expects to produce a new edition of the Local Authority and Emergency Service Information on Nuclear Weapon Transport Contingency Plans. [24541]
Dr. Reid: It is planned that the 3rd edition of the Local Authority and Emergency Service Information on Nuclear Weapon Transport Contingency Plans (LAESI) will be published this year.
TREASURY
Corporate Taxation
Mr. Lilley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the progress of his review of corporate taxation. [25282]
Mr. Geoffrey Robinson: We are consulting widely with business and other interested parties on the proposed changes to corporation tax announced in the pre-Budget report. The consultation period ends on 30 January 1998. We shall then take decisions in the light of the responses received.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Schengen Agreement
Mr. Brazier:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if officials were present at the
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time agreement was reached at Amsterdam on what voting arrangements will operate for opting into the Schengen area. [25134]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
Officials do not attend formal sessions of European Councils. As far as handling of this issue at Amsterdam is concerned, I refer the hon. Member to previous statements I have made to the House, in particular my answer to his question on 20 January 1998, Official Report, column 466.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the dependencies of the United Kingdom that (a) have legislative provision for and (b) carry out the death penalty. [24875]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
All the Dependent Territories have legislative provision for the death penalty, but, with the exception of Bermuda and St. Helena, only in respect of those offences which remain capital offences in the UK. Like the UK, none carries out the death penalty. In Bermuda, where murder remains a capital offence, the death penalty has not been carried out since 1977. In St. Helena there is still provision for the death penalty for piracy.
Mr. Dafis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will press for an international investigation into (a) massacres and (b) human rights abuses in Algeria. [24841]
Mr. Fatchett:
I pressed the Algerians to accept a visit by the UN Special Rapporteurs for Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions and for Torture during the EU Troika visit to Algiers on 19-20 January. We regret that they were not ready to agree to this.
Mr. Dafis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last had discussions with the Algerian authorities about the human rights situation in Algeria. [24843]
Mr. Fatchett:
When I visited Algiers from 19-20 January with my Austrian and Luxembourg colleagues we discussed human rights with the Foreign Minister, Mr. Attaf, and the Prime Minister, Mr. Ouyahia.
Mr. Truswell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had on (a) the future of and (b) support to St. Helena. [25028]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
Six St. Helena Councillors visited Britain late last year at my invitation. During their visit they had discussions on the future of the island with my noble Friend Baroness Symons, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development, and my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department and myself.
A review of policy towards the Dependent Territories, including St. Helena is underway. Separately a team of Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for
26 Jan 1998 : Column: 35
International Development officials are in St. Helena now to review the Country Policy Plan which shapes our aid support.
Mr. Wilkinson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the aims of Club of Three; what was the United Kingdom's financial contribution to the meeting of September last, and what arrangements have been made for the projected London meeting of mid-1998. [25129]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
The Club of Three is an informal private gathering, not a governmental or intergovernmental organisation. It would not therefore be appropriate for me to make a statement on its aims. We did not make a financial contribution to the meeting in September 1997. The arrangements for meetings are a matter for the organisers.
Mr. Wilkinson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the participants in past Club of Three meetings; and if (a) minutes or (b) conference papers are circulated or deposited. [25128]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
The Club of Three is an informal private gathering, not a governmental or intergovernmental organisation. We are not therefore in a position to answer the question.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has received concerning the expected shipment of high-level nuclear waste from Cherbourg to Japan. [25060]
Mr. Fatchett:
Formal representations on the high level nuclear waste shipment presently sailing from France to Japan have been received from the governments of Colombia and the Dominican Republic. Our diplomatic posts have relayed to them, and to the governments of all those countries on its route, details of the voyage and the measures taken to ensure the safety of the ship and its cargo.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans his Department has to review the present levels of television licence charges; and if he will make a statement. [24653]
Mr. Fisher:
As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 11 December 1997, Official Report column 636, the Government have considered the five-year television licence fee formula announced by the previous Government in December 1996, and have concluded that it remains appropriate. The formula, based on advice from independent consultants, provides for cumulative fee increases of just below RPI for the five years from April 1997. The RPI-linkage in individual
26 Jan 1998 : Column: 36
years reflects anticipated spending pressures and, in the latter years, the benefits of BBC efficiency savings and the development of alternative sources of revenue.
The Government's Agreement with the BBC provides for a review of the arrangements for funding the BBC after 2002. The Government intend to conduct such a review well before that date and to include in that review a detailed consideration of the question of concessions.
Mr. O'Hara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many E-mail messages were received in his Department on 5 December calling for the return of the Parthenon marbles to Greece. [24820]
Mr. Fisher
[holding answer 23 January 1998]: On 5 December the Department received 2,666 such E-mails.
Sir Sydney Chapman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress he has made in his plans for an inter-departmental strategy to ensure good quality design in public buildings. [24571]
Mr. Fisher:
Departments are responsible for their own building programmes and will recognise that good design brings hard economic benefits in better use of space and in low energy and maintenance costs. Well-designed buildings contribute to the public realm and improve the quality of our lives. The main commissioning bodies meet in the Government Construction Clients Panel to share their experience on all aspects of becoming better clients. My colleagues have agreed that this and other review bodies must take account of design quality as a factor in achieving value for money.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proposals he has for increasing the proportion of lottery finance for the Arts which is made available for running costs, with particular reference to the performing arts. [23524]
Mr. Fisher:
The Government have made it clear in the White Paper "The People's Lottery" that they intend that Lottery money should be used increasingly to focus on people--and in the arts on revenue support for the art and artists--rather than buildings and capital developments.
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