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Media Allegations (Rebuttals)
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list (a) those units in his Department and (b) the number of departmental staff which are concerned with preparing rebuttals of allegations in the media; and what is (i) the total cost of their work, including salaries, and (ii) the number of rebuttals issued since May 1997. [71852]
Mr. George Robertson: In common with other Departments, the work of press officers in my Department includes responding to any misinformed allegations concerning Government policy or activity which are published in the media. They are supported in this work by other officials as necessary. Because this is a routine part of a Department's work and it is not separately recorded from other tasks, to provide further information requested would involve disproportionate cost.
PRIME MINISTER
Ethnic Special Advisers
Mr. Livingstone: To ask the Prime Minister (1) how many (i) black people, (ii) Asian people and (iii) women have been appointed by the Government as special advisers since 1 May 1997; and on what dates these appointments were made; [69652]
- (2) how many (i) black people, (ii) Asian people and (iii) women were appointed by the Government as special advisers between 1 May 1992 and 30 April 1997; and (b) on what dates these appointments were made. [69654]
The Prime Minister: Information in the detailed form requested is not held in respect of appointments made under the last Administration.
At 15 February, there are 69 Special Advisers in post of which 16 are women. In response to a voluntary survey 58 have been identified as white. The other 11 have not responded to the survey. Information on the dates individuals were appointed is not held centrally.
Joined-up Government
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Prime Minister if he will define the term, joined-up Government. [69484]
The Prime Minister
[holding answer 8 February 1999]: The forthcoming White Paper on Modernising Government will set out the Government's vision for improving the way in which policy is developed and public services are designed and delivered. In central Government it means the different parts of Government working more closely together and across departmental and institutional boundaries than they have in the past.
22 Feb 1999 : Column: 40
The work of the Social Exclusion Unit and Performance and Innovation Unit are examples of this approach being applied to Government. This approach is also reflected in local authorities, government agencies, voluntary and private organisations working together.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the items sold by his Department, its agencies and associated public bodies from those listed in the National Assets Register of November 1997; if he will give in each case the amount of money realised; if he will estimate the total cash raised from such sales to date; and if he will make a statement. [70420]
The Prime Minister
[holding answer 11 February 1999]: For the purpose of this question, this answer includes my Office and the Cabinet Office and its Agencies.
IT equipment, and vehicles in the fleet of the Government Car and Despatch Agency, are routinely replaced at the end of their useful life. The old equipment and vehicles are sold where it is appropriate and economic to do so.
In addition to these replacement programmes, the Cabinet Office has sold two of the fixed related assets, one of which is listed in the vehicles category the other from the plant and machinery category. The sale realised £1,500.
Mr. Gray:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the parliamentary constituencies which he has visited in an official capacity in the past 12 months. [71330]
The Prime Minister
[holding answer 15 February 1999]: I undertake visits to all parts of the country, but records of official visits are not held on a constituency basis and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Tyrie:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will list each overseas visit in an official capacity by a special adviser since 2 May 1997, stating the cost and who paid. [69723]
The Prime Minister
[holding answer 15 February 1999]: In respect of my Policy Unit, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) on 8 December 1998, Official Report, column 143.
My Chief of Staff and Chief Press Secretary--who are employed under the terms of the amended Civil Service Order in Council--are usually part of the official party accompanying me on overseas visits.
Information covering travel by special advisers for each Government Department over the last 20 months is not held centrally.
Mr. Blunt:
To ask the Prime Minister what role his Press Secretary had in the preparation and placing of Oskar Lafontaine's article in The Daily Telegraph on 11 February. [71586]
22 Feb 1999 : Column: 41
The Prime Minister
[holding answer 16 February 1999]: Mr. Lafontaine's office advised mine that he was writing an article for The Daily Telegraph. They sought advice on the style of the article's presentation, as I routinely ask of other Governments when I write articles for foreign newspapers.
Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Prime Minister when he next intends to pay an official visit to Poland. [71813]
22 Feb 1999 : Column: 42
The Prime Minister:
I hope to visit Poland in the near future.
Mr. Luff:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will list for each Royal Commission established since 1969 the date of the establishment; what deadline was set for their report; and when they reported. [72204]
The Prime Minister:
An up to date list is as follows.
22 Feb 1999 : Column: 41
| Title | Appointed | Report |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial Relations | 1 March 1969 | Wound up in 1971 |
| The Constitution | 15 April 1969 | 10 October 1973 |
| Environmental Pollution(15) | 20 February 1970 | February 1971 |
| Civil Liability and Compensation for Personal Injury | 19 March 1973 | March 1978 |
| Press | 16 July 1974 | July 1977 |
| Distribution of Income and Wealth | 23 August 1974 | First 1975 |
| Final October 1979 | ||
| Standards of Conduct in Public Life | 6 December 1974 | July 1976 |
| Gambling | 24 February 1976 | July 1978 |
| National Health Service | 19 May 1976 | July 1979 |
| Legal Services | 20 July 1976 | October 1979 |
| Criminal Procedure | 3 February 1978 | January 1981 |
| Criminal Justice | 14 March 1991 | July 1993 |
| Long Term Care for the Elderly | 17 December 1997 | Will report shortly |
(15) As standing body the Commission reports from time to time
22 Feb 1999 : Column: 41
The Royal Commission on Long Term Care for the Elderly was asked to report within 12 months of its establishment. No deadline was set for any of the other Royal Commissions listed.
Mackerel Fishing
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Totnes (Mr. Steen) of 10 February 1999, Official Report, column 321, on commercial fishing of mackerel, what assessment he has made of allegations of fishing by EU member states' vessels in the conservation box. [72153]
The Prime Minister: The majority of the Mackerel Box lies outside UK territorial waters. Vessels from other member States are free to fish there provided that they have quota and do not target mackerel using mobile fishing gear or purse seine nets.
One of the tasks of the Royal Navy's Fisheries Protection Squadron and our aerial surveillance team is to patrol this area. In 1998, enforcement action included reporting two incidents to the Danish Authorities who later suspended the licences of the skippers concerned for one month. Four other cases were successfully prosecuted in the UK Courts.
We have not detected any infringements of access rights in the UK territorial waters included in the box and neither have we been informed of any infringements of those access rights.
Mr. Steen:
To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Totnes of 19 January 1999, Official Report, column 395, if the reduction of fishing effort includes decommissioning of fishing boats. [71926]
22 Feb 1999 : Column: 42
The Prime Minister:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for St. Ives (Mr. George) by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 11 January 1999, Official Report, column 117.
Mr. Woodward:
To ask the Prime Minister what response he made to the petition presented in December, calling on Her Majesty's Government to reject the Spanish proposals for joint sovereignty. [72211]
The Prime Minister:
The Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office responsible for Gibraltar, my right hon. Friend the Member for Gateshead, East and Washington, West (Ms Quin), sent a letter in response to the December petition organised by the Self-Determination for Gibraltar Group. In this, she made clear that we will respond to the proposals from Spain at the next Brussels Process meeting. Our commitment under the 1969 Gibraltar Constitution is that we will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their freely and democratically expressed wishes.
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