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Courts Martial
Mr. Dawson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel court martialled in the last 10 years, (a) had joined the armed forces before their eighteenth birthdays, (b) were aged under 21 years at the time of the offence and (c) had applied unsuccessfully for discharge. [72615]
Mr. Doug Henderson: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Military Corrective Training Centre
Mr. Dawson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of detainees at the Military Corrective Training Centre, Colchester are held for offences covered only by military law with no civilian equivalent. [72614]
Mr. Doug Henderson: Of the 114 detainees held at the Military Corrective Training Centre on 19 February 1999, 55 (48.25 per cent.) were being held for offences covered only by military law, such as absence without leave, desertion, and disobeying a lawful command.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Public Bodies
Dr. Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by her Department publish (a) the minutes of meetings, (b) the agendas of meetings and documents for those meetings and (c) a register of members' interests; and whether in each case this is under a statutory requirement. [69832]
Clare Short [holding answer 10 February 1999]: The Development Awareness Working Group publishes the agenda, documents for, and minutes of its meetings and maintains a register of members' interests. There are no statutory requirements for it to do so.
There are no statutory requirements for the publication of documents or maintenance of a register of members' interests, and this is not done, in respect of:
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Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what financial assistance was made available in 1998 to other countries for land mine clearance in those countries; and if she will make a statement. [72558]
Clare Short:
The Department for International Development (DFID) has committed over £6.2 million to humanitarian mine action, to date, in 1998-99. Clearance projects account for the major part of this programme.
DFID's progress report on humanitarian mine action for 1998 and its future plans will be published on 1 March, marking the passing into international law of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Landmines and on their Destruction.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the role of Ambassadors for British Business in the work of her Department; and how many such Ambassadors she has met since 1 May 1997. [72289]
Clare Short:
My Department has begun to consult widely and developed new working relationships with the business community, both in-country and in the UK since 1997. As we make clear in our Development White Paper, business has a strong interest in successful development and the sustainable economic growth necessary to reduce poverty requires a thriving private sector. We consult through established business groups rather than on a company by company basis. I have so far met with six of the thirty-six Ambassadors for British Business to discuss areas of particular interest to my Department's objectives.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much money her Department has spent supporting the research and development of agricultural biotechnology since 1 May 1997. [72069]
Clare Short:
Figures are not available in the form requested. My Department supports agricultural research which aims to generate benefits for poor people in developing countries by applying new knowledge to the management of their natural resources. Many forms of biotechnology are used as tools in this research but separate data are not maintained on their cost. Since May 1997 expenditure on agricultural research projects with some biotechnology content is estimated to be about £20 million. Expenditure over the same period on projects which involve genetic modification is estimated to be about £1.2 million.
Mr. Hope:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proposals she has to
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change the 1998-2000 External Financing Limit for the Commonwealth Development Corporation. [73221]
Clare Short:
The External Financing Limit for CDC or 1998/99 will be reduced by £15,200 from zero to minus £15,200,000. This reduction takes account of an upward adjustment made last year to allow CDC increased borrowing in early 1998.
Mr. Ruffley:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list (a) the London barristers' chambers and (b) the London solicitors' firms that have performed services for his Department (i) since 1 May 1997 and (ii) in the equivalent period preceding that date, indicating the remuneration paid in each particular case. [70026]
Mr. Kilfoyle
[holding answer 8 February 1999]: The Department has spent £1,552,559 on legal advice since 1 May 1997. The detailed information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General appointed Philip Scales as First Junior Treasury Counsel (Common Law) and Jonathan Crow as First Junior Treasury Counsel (Chancery) to advise and represent the Government in their important civil cases. In addition, the Attorney- General maintains at present two London panels of junior Counsel whom Departments are expected to use for the rest of Government's civil litigation. The panels currently comprise 103 barristers from 42 different sets of chambers. The Attorney-General will shortly appoint a third panel of very junior barristers. The Attorney-General's individual nomination is required before a barrister who is not on one of the approved panels can be instructed to appear for the Government in litigation.
Departments may use firms of solicitors in addition to the Treasury Solicitor and their departmental legal advisers, for example, where the relevant expertise lies in
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the private sector. The relationship is subject to the usual confidentiality which operates between lawyer and client.
Mr. Gray:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list the parliamentary constituencies which he has visited in an official capacity in the past 12 months. [71339]
Dr. Jack Cunningham
[holding answer 15 February 1999]: The following constituencies have been visited in an official capacity either by my predecessor or me between 1 January 1998 and 5 February 1999:
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will invite all hon. Members to recommend policy areas for detailed discussions using the Joint Consultative Committee mechanism. [71636]
Dr. Jack Cunningham:
I am always happy to consider suggestions from hon. Members.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what (a) reviews, (b) task forces and (c) advisory groups have been established by his Department since 1 May 1997; what costs they have incurred to date; and what reports they have published. [71519]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
The reviews, task forces and advisory groups, which have been established by my Department since 1 May 1997 and reports they have published are as follows.
The costs incurred could be calculated only at disproportionate cost.
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The Overseas Services Pensions Scheme Advisory Board
The Indian Family Pensions Funds Body of Commissioners
The Know How Fund Advisory Board
The Advisory Committee on Overseas Economic and Social Research.
Wansbeck; Cambridge; Manchester, Central; Bristol, West; Carlisle; Edinburgh, Central; Torbay; Lancaster & Wyre; Workington; Copeland; Cheadle; and Stockport.
Additionally, a number of constituencies in central and inner London were visited in the course of ministerial duties.
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