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Angola

Mr. Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department has contacted UNITA in order to obtain information about Jason Pope, a missing British citizen in Angola. [63770]

Mr. Tony Lloyd: As an exception, and for the humanitarian purpose of obtaining information about the whereabouts and welfare of Jason Pope, we have sought and obtained an exception to paragraph 12(a) of Security Council resolution 1173. The United Nations Angola Sanctions Committee has granted this exemption to enable our Embassy in Luanda to contact UNITA in areas of Angola not under state administration. A full report of these contacts will be supplied to the Committee.

Our Embassy in Luanda are already in contact with UNITA representatives in Luanda for the same purpose. We have also authorised our Embassy in Washington to approach the UNITA representative in Washington for assistance. Such contacts are not prohibited under UNSCR 1173.

Sierra Leone

Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if any officials in his Department saw a copy of Peter Penfold's letter of 30 December 1997 to Miss Grant prior to 6 April 1997. [63269]

Mr. Tony Lloyd: Sir Thomas Legg's Report (paragraph 5.29) states that

"in spite of searches there, it [Mr. Penfold's letter of 30 December 1997] cannot be traced at the FCO, and seems never to have arrived".

Legg records (paragraph 6.59) that the FCO (Equatorial Africa Department) finally obtained a copy from Freetown on 6 April.

Overseas Price Mechanism

Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to review the overseas price mechanism; and if he will make a statement. [63082]

Mr. Fatchett: Officials in the FCO and HM Treasury are conducting a review into the operation of the OPM calculation. It is expected that this will be concluded shortly.

10 Dec 1998 : Column: 283

Belarus

Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's relations with Belarus. [63134]

Ms Quin: Ministerial contacts with Belarus were suspended in 1997 by HMG and EU Partners following concerns about a constitutional referendum which failed to meet democratic norms, human rights abuses and lack of press freedom. EU member states have also withdrawn their Ambassadors from Minsk in response to the Belarusian Government's effective exclusion of certain Ambassadors from their residences. HMG are keen not to isolate Belarus. We continue to support the OSCE's Advisory and Monitoring Group's efforts to promote democracy in the country.

Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received about the freedom of individual Belarus MPs to conduct their duties and about their parliamentary immunity; and what representations have been made in this regard to (a) the Belarus President and (b) the OSCE. [63133]

Ms Quin: We and the EU regard the 13th Supreme Soviet as the legitimate parliament. It was disbanded following the 1996 constitutional referendum which failed to meet democratic standards. In its place, the National Assembly was appointed which is not genuinely representative. However, National Assembly members are free to conduct their parliamentary duties. Together with our EU partners, HMG have regularly raised their concerns with Belarusian Ministers about the flawed constitutional situation and human rights abuses. The OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group was set up in Minsk in February 1998. It helps Belarus to promote democracy and comply with OSCE commitments. HMG support its work and receive regular reports from the OSCE and the British Embassy in Minsk on the situation.

CABINET OFFICE

Departmental Staff

Mr. Robert Jackson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people in his Department are currently on secondment from private companies; and if he will list them, their companies and their current responsibilities within Government. [62824]

Mr. Kilfoyle: At 30 November 1998, the Cabinet Office employed three secondees from private companies, details as follows:

Mr. H. S. Rolfe of Marks and Spencers PLC working in the Efficiency Unit;

Ms A. Jordan of the NatWest bank PLC working in the Social Exclusion Unit; and

Mrs M. Pye of BT working in the Office of the Civil Service Commissioners.

10 Dec 1998 : Column: 284

No secondees from private companies are currently employed in any of the Cabinet Office agencies, or in the Central Office of Information which is a separate Department reporting to me.

WALES

Farming

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the amount of Government funding given to the farming industry in each of the last three years. [62912]

Mr. Jon Owen Jones: Government expenditure on agriculture in Wales was £225.8 million, £265.3 million and £198.5 million in 1995-96, 1996-97 and 1997-98 respectively. The fall during 1997-98 is mainly accounted for by the reduction in expenditure on the EU's Sheep Annual Premium Scheme. This scheme provides for annual deficiency payments, measured in ECUs, on eligible breeding ewes. The reduced expenditure reflects both a strengthening of European sheep prices and the revaluation of the green pound.

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the sum currently allocated to the farming industry for each of the next three financial years, including extra moneys announced this autumn; and if he will make a statement. [62913]

Mr. Jon Owen Jones: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales will announce his spending plans for agriculture for the next three years shortly.

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many farms there are in Wales. [62915]

Mr. Jon Owen Jones: There are currently 35,500 farm holdings registered in Wales; 27,900 main farm holdings and 7,600 minor holdings.

NHS Waiting Lists

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on NHS waiting lists in Wales. [62696]

Mr. Jon Owen Jones: I am pleased to announce that the inpatient waiting list has fallen for 2 consecutive months and currently stands at 73,037--the lowest figure since February 1998. The numbers waiting over 12 months and over 18 months have also fallen, by 309 and 86 respectively.

Outpatient lists to end-October also fell, by 1.6 per cent. to 133,210, the first fall in outpatient lists since January 1998. Although the number waiting over 6 months for an appointment rose by 487, this was a smaller increase than the 1,535 reported in September.

Sheep

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the size of the sheep flock of Wales in (a) 1993, (b) 1996 and (c) currently. [62916]

10 Dec 1998 : Column: 285

Mr. Jon Owen Jones: The information required has been taken from the annual June Agricultural and Horticultural Census and is shown as follows:

Total sheep and lambs in Wales (6)

Year	Number
1993	11,256,200
1996	10,874,000
1998(7)	11,609,300

(6) Includes estimates for minor holdings

(7) Provisional estimate

GP Fundholding

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he proposes to abolish GP fundholding; and if he will make a statement on his proposed alternative arrangements. [62698]

Mr. Jon Owen Jones: We shall include provisions to abolish the GP fundholding scheme in the Bill to modernise the NHS. Although a fundholding scheme must remain available until that Bill reaches Royal Assent, this need not take the form of the existing standard and community fundholding schemes. The Department is therefore about to consult the GP representative bodies on proposals to bring these existing arrangements to an end on 31 March 1999 and substitute a residual scheme. This residual scheme would meet the requirements of the current primary legislation, should that still be in force on 1 April 1999, while minimising any disruption to the development of Local Health Groups. No new primary legislation is needed to implement our plans to establish Local Health Groups as Committees of Health Authorities from 1 April 1999.

Welsh Development Agency

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people are employed by the Welsh Development Agency. [62914]

Mr. Hain: The Welsh Development Agency currently employs 424 permanent staff.

Grant-maintained Schools

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about the allocation of funds to grant-maintained schools in Wales in 1999-2000. [62981]

Mr. Hain: Grant-maintained schools in Wales will be funded in 1999-2000 in accordance with the Financing of Maintained Schools Regulations 1998 which were laid before Parliament on 3 December.

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