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Human Rights
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list those countries in receipt of British aid which (a) have a record of
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civil rights abuses, and (b) do not have a democratically-elected Government, indicating in each case the amount of aid they received in the last year for which figures are available. [73682]
Clare Short:
Throughout our work, we seek to enhance respect for human rights, particularly those of the poorest. We consider civil and political rights and broader governance issues when we assess the scope for partnerships with developing countries and when we draw up country strategy papers. The position is kept continuously under review, but no country has a perfect record of respect for civil or other human rights and DFID work is concentrated in the poorest countries where it is difficult to secure all human rights for all citizens. Completed strategy papers are publicly available and provide details of progress to date and the prospects for development and partnerships. Full information of DFID's bilateral programmes in 1993-94--1997-98 was published in "Statistics on International Development" in December 1999.
Civil Servants (Misconduct)
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list the offences or acts of misconduct under which a civil servant in her Department could have his pension removed or reduced; and how often this has happened during the last five years. [70780]
Mr. Paul Murphy: The Forfeiture Act 1970 provides for the automatic loss of pension rights where a person is convicted of treason.
The rules of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (Northern Ireland PCSPS (NI)), which provides pension benefits for staff in the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICs), give the Department of Finance and Personnel, the administrators of the Scheme, discretionary power to withhold benefits where a civil servant or former civil servant is convicted:
The rules regarding the Home Civil Service (HCS) are as follows:
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The discretionary forfeiture provisions, which apply to both the NICS and the HCS, have not been applied in the last five years.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what controls exist in respect of the importation of those animals which are subject to the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 into Northern Ireland. [71420]
Mr. Paul Murphy
[holding answer 16 February 1999]: The import of those animals into Northern Ireland which are subject to the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 is governed by the Importation of Animals Order (Northern Ireland) 1986 made under the Diseases of Animals (Northern Ireland) Order 1981. There are further legislative provisions setting controls in relation to the import of animals susceptible to rabies and to the import of animals covered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). These controls are in line with those in Great Britain.
Rev. Martin Smyth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many trainees are (a) on the new Worktrain Programme and (b) what was the average number of trainees in each month on the Action for Community Employment scheme in the last 12 months for which figures are available; [72542]
(3) what special help will be made available to organisations which have used Action for Community Employment in order to help them adjust to the loss of funding. [72544]
Mr. Ingram:
Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the Training and Employment Agency under its Chief Executive, Mr. Ian Walters. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Ian Walters to Rev. Martin Smyth, dated 1 March 1999.
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(i) of one or more offences under the Official Secrets Acts 1911 to 1989 for which the person concerned has been sentenced to a term of imprisonment of at least ten years or has been sentenced on the same occasion to two or more consecutive terms amounting in the aggregate to at least ten years or more; or
(ii) of an offence in connection with any employment to which the scheme applies, and a Minister of the Crown certifies that the offence is gravely injurious to the interests of the State or is liable to lead to serious loss of confidence in the public service.
Under the rules of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme, the Minister for the Civil Service has the power to withhold pension benefits where a Civil Servant or former Civil Servant is convicted under the Official Secrets Act 1911 to 1989 to at least 10 years in prison or convicted of offences deigned to have been gravely injurious to the State or be liable to lead to serious loss of confidence in the public service.
The above rules apply to the Home Civil Servants employed in the Northern Ireland Office.
(2) what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Worktrain Programme; and if she will make a statement; [72543]
Parliamentary question 72542-72544
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has asked me as Chief Executive of the Training and Employment Agency to reply to your questions about the Action for Community Employment (ACE) and Worktrain programmes.
Parliamentary question 72542
(a) We are planning to introduce Worktrain on 1 August 1999 if not sooner. Currently there are no trainees participating in the programme.
(b) The number of trainees in the ACE programme during 1998 is shown in the attached table.
Parliamentary question 72543
A major review of the provision for the long-term unemployed and an independent evaluation of ACE highlighted the need for the programme to be better targeted, tailored to the individual needs and focused on helping people into permanent jobs. The introduction of Worktrain reflects the findings of this research and the allocation of resources in accordance with Government objectives and priorities.
The effectiveness of the programme will be fully evaluated.
Parliamentary question 72544
I am pleased to say that help is being offered on several fronts to ACE organisations.
Existing contracts with ACE providers have been extended to 31 July from their original expiry date of 31 March. This extension will allow ACE organisations more time to prepare for New Deal and Worktrain and to take business decisions about their future.
The Management Committees of organisations which might find it hard to survive are being encouraged to urgently consider the possibilities of amalgamating with others, subcontracting and, of course, the preparation of bids for Worktrain. The Agency is working as quickly as possible to implement the tendering and contracting process for Worktrain to minimise any period of uncertainty for organisations.
For those organisations already part of New Deal Consortia, there will be an increasing role for them to play under the Voluntary and Environmental Sector Options of the New Deal for 18-24 year olds and the Intensive Activity Period of the New Deal for the over 25s. As ACE numbers decline, New Deal numbers will increase, thereby helping to maintain an equilibrium within organisations.
Organisations are also being encouraged to work together to develop innovative proposals within the framework of Worktrain. There is scope for new approaches customised to meet the needs and circumstances of local communities. Contracts will be awarded on the basis of competitive tendering and ACE organisations, either individually or as a member of a partnership, will be well placed to bid.
The Minister, Mr. McFall, has established a cross departmental team which reports directly to him. The team is tasked with offering advice and whatever support may be possible to effect a smooth transition from ACE to New Deal and Worktrain.
I hope you find this reply useful.
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| January | 4,201 |
| February | 4,219 |
| March | 4,183 |
| April | 4,172 |
| May | 4,063 |
| June | 3,944 |
| July | 3,781 |
| August | 3,700 |
| September | 3,712 |
| October | 3,756 |
| November | 3,776 |
| December | 3,838 |
Hospital Waiting Lists
Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will publish waiting lists for hospital treatment and consultant appointments monthly. [72351]
Mr. McFall: In Northern Ireland waiting list figures are produced quarterly and are routinely available on request. I have asked officials within the Department of Health and Social Services to make arrangements for this information to be published each quarter.
Sinn Fein Members (Ministerial Appointments)
Mr. Wilshire:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will make it her policy to oppose Sinn Fein members taking up ministerial jobs in Northern Ireland before a start is made on decommissioning their arms and explosives. [72605]
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Marjorie Mowlam:
The Government's policy on the Belfast Agreement is clear--all parties must live up to all their commitments. This means that decommissioning must take place and it means that the new institutions of government in Northern Ireland must be established.
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