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Child Care
Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what childcare provision is made available by his Department for the use of staff; what is the cost to parents of this childcare; how many parents used the facilities in the financial years (a) 1996-97 and (b) 1997-98; and what proportion of total staff used these facilities in the financial years (i) 1996-97 and (ii) 1997-98. [59728]
Mr. Milburn: The Department has made provision for subsidised nursery places and an on-site holiday playscheme in London, and an on-site nursery and a holiday playscheme, funded jointly with the Benefits Agency, in Leeds. Childcare vouchers are available to staff in North and South Thames Regional Offices of the National Health Service Executive. The NHS Pensions Agency provides a subsidy towards the cost of a holiday playscheme for its staff. The Department also provides a range of family friendly policies including 16 weeks' paid maternity leave; extended career breaks (up to 5 years); 5 days' paternity leave; and other measures to help staff balance work and family life including jobshare, part-time working, homeworking and term-time only working.
The table shows the cost to parents of provision. Information on the use of facilities is not available in the form requested. The places available are set out in the table. The number of staff in post in the Department is 4,768.
A review of the Department's current childcare provision is underway.
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| Playscheme (cost to parent per child) | Subsidised nursery (cost to parent per child) | Childcare vouchers (value of vouchers) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | 24 place on-site holiday playscheme 5-12 years (£6 per day) | 25 subsidised places (50% of costs of £105-£169) | |
| Leeds | 40 place off-site holiday playscheme 5-14 years shared with Benefits Agency (£6.50 per day until 1/98, then £8.00 per day) | 30 place on-site nursery shared with Benefits Agency (£84.45 per week) | |
| NHSPA | c.20 places taken up at off-site holiday playscheme (£5.50 per day) | ||
| North Thames Regional Office | c.22 x £25 vouchers, for those in post at 1/4/96, one per family per week 0-5 years | ||
| South Thames Regional Office | As above |
Notes:
1. The Department' staff in London also had access to the Westminster holiday playscheme. Around 4 parents took up places in each scheme.
2. During 1996-97 and part of 1997-98, the Department's staff had use of the Childcare Solutions telephone helpline. This provided information and advice on childcare in local areas free of charge and was used by 70 staff.
17 Nov 1998 : Column: 567
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Israel
Dr. Starkey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 9 November 1998, Official Report, column 33, what assurances his Department has received from the Israeli Government that no new building permits will be issued for Jewish housing units in (a) Gaza and (b) the Occupied West Bank. [59559]
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Mr. Fatchett:
We have received no further assurances from the Israeli government that no new building permits will be issued for Jewish housing units in Gaza and the West Bank. But the Israeli Cabinet endorsed the Wye River Memorandum on 12 November and we expect the Israeli government to abide by the letter and the spirit of the agreement, which prohibits either side from taking any steps to change the status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. We have made it clear to Israel that we regard the initiation and encouragement of settlement activity as a violation of international law and an obstacle to peace,
17 Nov 1998 : Column: 569
and we recently informed them of our concern at the issuing of tenders for construction at Har Homa in East Jerusalem.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to Israel on the implementation of the Wye Accord. [60163]
Mr. Fatchett:
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has written twice to the Israeli Prime Minister since the Wye Memorandum was signed in Washington on 23 October to congratulate him on this achievement, and to stress the importance of swift implementation. Our Ambassador in Tel Aviv has also been in touch with key political contacts in Israel to express our concern at the delays in implementation. We trust that, following Cabinet approval of the Wye agreement on 11 November, full implementation will begin in accordance with the timeline established at Wye.
Mr. Blunt:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the annual budget of the Foreign Policy Centre; what proportion is charged to public funds; and if he will list the source of private funding. [57585]
Mr. Robin Cook:
The Foreign Policy Centre is an independent foreign policy institute. The Centre's annual budget and contributions are matters for the Foreign Policy Centre. None of the Foreign Policy Centre's budget is charged to public funds.
Mr. Blunt:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the proposed annual salary of the Director Designate of the Foreign Policy Centre. [57584]
Mr. Robin Cook:
The Foreign Policy Centre is an independent foreign policy institute. The Director Designate's salary is a matter for the Foreign Policy Centre.
Mr. Blunt:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the advantages of the policy input available from the Foreign Policy Centre relative to that from (a) his Department's (i) Policy Board, (ii) Policy Planning Unit, (iii) Research Department, (iv) High Commissioners, Ambassadors and overseas missions and (v) London-based desk offices, (b) his special advisers, (c) the intelligence services, (d) other Government departments, (e) the Royal Institute of International Affairs and (f) other academic institutions for the study of international affairs. [57590]
Mr. Robin Cook:
It is established practice for Foreign Office officials and Ministers to have contact with a wide range of policy institutes and NGOs and to consider their views when developing policy. These contacts occur at all levels of the Foreign Office and are an important and valued part of the policy making process. Policy institutes and NGOs contribute to a wider public debate which can also influence policy. The nature of these contacts means it is not possible to assess the influence of one particular policy institute in isolation from other institutes.
17 Nov 1998 : Column: 570
Mrs. Gillan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussion he has had with EU member countries about reducing illegal currency transfers from Russia to western banking institutions. [59276]
Ms Quin
[holding answer 10 November 1998]: There have been frequent discussions of Russia's economic problems and how the EU might best assist Russia to overcome them at meetings of the General Affairs Council, most recently on 9 November. During these discussions co-operation with Russia in fighting organised crime, including financial crime, has been discussed.
Through its TACIS programme, the EU funds training for Russian banking staff to help them identify evidence of money laundering and take action to prevent it.
An existing EU money laundering directive requires member states to implement legal measures to prevent criminal funds from being laundered by their financial institutions.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what public access there is to European Council documents pertaining to the discussions after the Amsterdam IGC on interpreting the treaty negotiations relating to the opt-in to the Schengen Agreement by opt-out states. [59807]
Ms Quin:
Members of the public may apply for access to any Council document under the provisions of Council Decision 93/731/EC of 20 December 1993. Applications are considered on a case-by-case basis.
The two draft Decisions identifying and incorporating the Schengen acquis have been made available to Parliament.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make a statement on the meeting by a Minister from his Department with the European Youth Forum on 14 June; [59799]
Ms Quin:
My predecessor, the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, North (Mr. Henderson), met representatives from the European Youth Forum on 14 June 1998 in the margins of the Cardiff European Council. The EYF briefed him on the conclusions of a conference which they had held from 11 to 14 June in Cardiff, entitled 'Fighting for our Future'. A central theme of the conference was youth and employment.
(2) what representations (a) he and (b) his Ministers have received from the European Union Youth Forum as part of its EU-funded lobbying activities. [59992]
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