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PRIME MINISTER

Ministerial Flights

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 10 February 1999, Official Report, column 283, on Concorde flights, if he will list the Ministers who have taken a Concorde flight; and what was the total cost of the flights. [71307]

The Prime Minister: Since 2 May 1997, I and the following Ministers have taken scheduled Concorde flights: my right hon. Friends the Deputy Prime Minister; the Secretary of State for Defence; the Secretary of State for Health; the Foreign Secretary; the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, Central (Mr. Fatchett); the Minister for the Cabinet Office; and the Chancellor of the Exchequer; and my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department. The total costs of these flights is some £86,800. This compares with 11 Ministers using Concorde on a total of 13 occasions during the last two years of the previous Administration.

Expenditure on these flights is part of the Government's expenditure on Ministers visits overseas of £6.1 million for the period 1 May 1997 to 31 March 1998, and £4.0 million for the period 1 April to 31 December 1998. By comparison, in the last year of the previous Administration, expenditure on overseas visits was £7.8 million.

In addition, as accounted for in answers to the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (Mr. Flight) on 14 July 1997, Official Report, column 46, and the hon. Member for Lichfield (Mr. Fabricant) on 13 March 1998, Official Report, columns 366-67, I have also chartered Concorde, as did my predecessor.

Genetic Modification

Mr. Baker: To ask the Prime Minister what factors underlay his statement that genetically modified food is beneficial for human consumption. [72240]

The Prime Minister [holding answer 23 February 1999]: All genetically modified food produced in the United Kingdom has been approved by independent expert scientific advisers as part of an extensive regulatory process designed to protect both consumers and the environment. No approvals have been given since 1 May 1997.

Genetic modification has the potential to enable us to produce food that is more nutritious and better tasting.

Mr. Stinchcombe: To ask the Prime Minister what representations he has received on genetically modified organisms and the biotechnology industry from the US Government. [72763]

The Prime Minister: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) on 31 July 1998, Official Report, column 600.

Economic and Monetary Union

Mr. Maclean: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral statement of 23 February 1999, Official Report, columns 179-84, what his definition is of the term "pooling sovereignty". [73597]

1 Mar 1999 : Column: 528

The Prime Minister: In his statement to the House on 27 October 1997, Official Report, columns 583-88, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer said that to share a common monetary policy with other Member States represents a major pooling of economic sovereignty.

Mr. Maclean: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on progress made on passing each of the five economic tests for joining the euro; if deadlines have been imposed; and what staff have been tasked to monitor progress. [73596]

The Prime Minister: The Government have said that, barring some fundamental and unforeseen change in economic circumstances, making a decision during this Parliament to join the single currency is not realistic. The UK economy needs a period of stability in order to demonstrate sustainable convergence. The Government have put in place a new macroeconomic framework and introduced a series of microeconomic reforms which are both in the national economic interest and will help to deliver the stability required to demonstrate that convergence is sustainable. As I said in my statement to the House on 23 February 1999, Official Report, columns 179-84, we cannot say that yet.

Mr. Maclean: To ask the Prime Minister who will judge whether the five economic tests for United Kingdom participation in the EMU have been passed; and who will be consulted. [73594]

The Prime Minister: The Government have said that the determining factor in any decision to recommend membership of the single currency will be the national economic interest. In order to make the assessment the Government have set out five economic tests which must be met before the UK could join. The final decision on whether or not the UK should join is for Government, Parliament and the British people in a referendum.

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral statement of 23 February 1999, Official Report, columns 179-84, if he will list the Ministers in each department responsible for euro preparation. [73519]

The Prime Minister: The following Ministers have responsibility for departmental euro preparations:

Department	Minister
HM Treasury	Ms Patricia Hewitt MP
Department of Trade and Industry	Lord Simon of Highbury
Ministry of Defence	Doug Henderson MP
Department of Health	Baroness Hayman
Department of Social Security	Ms Angela Eagle MP
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food	Lord Donoughue
Department for Education and Employment	George Mudie MP
Home Office	Ms Kate Hoey MP
Foreign and Commonwealth Office	Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
Department for International Development	George Foulkes MP
Department for Culture, Media and Sport	Mrs. Janet Anderson MP
Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions	Alan Meale MP
Northern Ireland Office	Paul Murphy MP
Welsh Office	Peter Hain MP
Scottish Office	Lord Sewel

1 Mar 1999 : Column: 529

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral statement of 23 February 1999, Official Report, columns 179-84, what estimate he has made of the cost to private sector business of conversion to the euro. [73520]

The Prime Minister [holding answer 26 February 1999]: The level of costs would depend on the approach adopted by individual companies. The Outline Changeover Plan should help businesses as they develop their thinking on this issue. Effective preparations undertaken in good time and with a clear planning lead by Government should reduce the total costs involved.

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral statement of 23 February 1999, Official Report, columns 179-84, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public sector of conversion to the euro. [73521]

The Prime Minister [holding answer 26 February 1999]: The cost to the public sector of conversion to the euro would depend on the detailed approach that the UK took to the changeover. The outline National Changeover Plan is a first step in planning how the UK would make the changeover to the single currency. A further plan will be published in around a year's time.

The cost to the public sector would also depend on the extent to which organisations are able to build in euro compatibility where IT systems are being upgraded or purchased for other reasons. Effective preparations undertaken in good time and with a clear planning lead by Government should reduce the total costs involved.

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral statement of 23 February 1999, Official Report, columns 179-84, what estimate he has made of Government expenditure necessary to inform the public of the facts regarding the euro. [73522]

The Prime Minister [holding answer 26 February 1999]: As outlined in chapter eight of the Outline Changeover Plan, if the UK were to join the single currency, there would need to be provision of practical and objective information delivered to the general public and consumers to enable these groups to deal with each of the phases of the changeover.

The cost of any such public information campaign would depend on the particular requirements of the audiences involved and would also be dependent on the extent to which other bodies (for example, banks and retailers) were themselves providing appropriate information. Effective preparations undertaken in good time and with a clear planning lead by Government should reduce the total costs involved.

European Movement

Mr. Maclean: To ask the Prime Minister when he last met representatives of (a) the European Movement and (b) the Federal Trust; and if he will list the subjects discussed. [73595]

The Prime Minister: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Boston and Skegness (Sir R. Body) on 19 October 1998, Official Report, column 917.

1 Mar 1999 : Column: 530

Terrorism

Sir Richard Body: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the nature of the material evaluated in preparing the periodic terrorism threat assessment document. [73771]

The Prime Minister: A number of reports and assessments are used within Government, and the threat from terrorism is kept constantly under review in the light of all the available information.

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