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Commercial Lobbyists

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what rules or guidance his Department has to govern the (a) formal and (b) informal interaction between his civil servants and commercial lobbyists. [66193]

Mr. Mudie: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 27 July 1998, Official Report, column 4.

Electrical Contracting Industry

Mr. McAllion: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will place in the Library copies of the contents of Public Record Office file FS27/486 relating to the Joint Industry Board of the Electrical Contracting Industry. [65766]

Mr. Ian McCartney: I have been asked to reply.

The file in question is deposited in the Public Records Office and is open for public inspection. The PRO will provide a copy of the contents for the House of Commons Library on request.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

EU Fundamental Rights Charter

Sir Richard Body: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on German proposals to preface the European Communities Treaties with a Charter of Fundamental Rights. [66139]

Ms Quin: The Germans have expressed an interest in developing a European Charter of Basic Rights, in consultation with the European Parliament, national

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parliaments and as many social groups as possible. We will form a view once details of the German proposals are available.

Sri Lanka

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current political situation in Sri Lanka. [66376]

Mr. Fatchett: We believe that a lasting solution to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka can be reached only through a political settlement. During my visit to Colombo in November last year I made it clear to the Sri Lankan Government that we remain ready to help in the resolution of the conflict if both sides ask us to play a role. But it is for the Sri Lankan Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to work to reach a negotiated settlement.

Indonesia

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation in Aceh, Indonesia, with particular reference to Operasi Wibawa '99. [66627]

Mr. Fatchett: We are concerned about the recent reports of violence in Aceh and deeply regret the killings of both civilians and military personnel. We call on all sides to show restraint, and look to the Indonesian Government to conduct a full investigation into the killings and to bring to justice those responsible.

British Council

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent by the British Council in investment in infrastructure and information technology for each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [66235]

Mr. Fatchett: Owing to a change by the British Council accruals accounting in April 1995, the information on investment is available on a consistent basis only for the three-year period from 1995-96 to 1997-98. In each of these years, the British Council's average gross investment in its built estate and in information technology was £12 million. The equivalent figure for the present financial year is £11.3 million while, as a result of the Comprehensive Spending Review, the average for each of the next three years will be £15 million.

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on British Council work, funded by his Department, to support civil society, human rights and democracy in East and West Africa. [66218]

Mr. Fatchett: The British Council is well placed to promote human rights and good governance because of its unique status and long experience in these fields. In the case of East and West Africa, the British Council manages projects to the value of more than £300,000 under the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Human Rights Project Fund. These include anti-corruption campaigns, management training for NGO staff, improving judicial systems, networking between human rights groups, women's rights, and programmes to support democracy.

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In addition, projects in these fields are funded from the grant-in-aid which the Foreign and Commonwealth Office gives to the British Council

Commercial Lobbyists

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what rules or guidance his Department has to govern the (a) formal and (b) informal interaction between his civil servants and commercial lobbyists. [66202]

Mr. Tony Lloyd: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 27 July 1998, Official Report, column 4, to my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice).

European Commission

Mr. Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the name, position and nationality of all EC officials who have been indicted on charges of fraud, dishonesty or maladministration, since 1990 together with details of the disciplinary action taken. [66406]

Ms Quin: We have approached the European Commission for this information. I will write to the hon. Member shortly, placing copies in the Library of the House.

Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will list Commission officials suspended since 1990 on (i) full, (ii) half and (iii) no pay, stating in each case (a) the accusation, (b) the end result of the investigations concerned and (c) the severance pay where supplied; [66321]

Ms Quin: We have approached the Commission for this information. I will write to the right hon. Member shortly, placing copies in the Library of the House.

Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the report submitted by the Commission at the General Affairs Council of 26 to 27 October 1998 concerning fraud allegations relating to the EC Humanitarian Office; and if he will list the corrected documents submitted. [66379]

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Ms Quin: The Commission President, Mr. Santer, gave an oral report to Foreign Ministers over lunch on 25 October 1998. There is no official record. Mr. Santer explained the background to the EC Humanitarian Aid Office fraud and the Commission's proposal to establish an external anti-fraud office (Document 14031--deposited in the House Library on 23 December). It is not clear to which "corrected documents" the right hon. Member refers. If the right hon. Member would care to write to me giving any additional information he may have, I shall be happy to investigate.

Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will deposit in the Library a copy of all guidelines for Commission staff operating in (a) other Member States and (b) the United Kingdom relating to (i) handling the media and (ii) maintaining political neutrality. [66380]

Ms Quin: We understand from the Commission that there are currently no such written guidelines for staff at Commission Representations in the Member States, including those in the United Kingdom. However, on 11 January 1999, President Santer announced that three codes of conduct would be drawn up governing the work of Members of the Commission and Commission staff. These are expected to cover issues of this kind.

EU Enlargement

Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his Department received each of the European Commission Enlargement reports entitled Enlargement 98 in respect of (a) Poland, (b) Hungary, (c) Czech Republic, (d) Slovenia, (e) Estonia and (f) Cyprus. [66119]

Ms Quin: We received copies of the Commission's Progress Reports on all the candidate countries, via the internet, on 4 November 1998--the day they were agreed by the College of Commissioners. The texts were subsequently presented to the 9 November General Affairs Council. Formal transmission of the texts, from the Commission to the Council Secretariat, took place on 18 December 1998. The Council Secretariat is in the process of forwarding them to Member States. We will deposit copies in the Library of the House once we receive a full set.


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