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Zimbabwe
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance he plans to give to the National Constitutional Assembly of Zimbabwe to encourage democracy in Zimbabwe. [73955]
Mr. Tony Lloyd: We have assisted organisations which are members of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) with civic education programmes to encourage democracy in Zimbabwe. At present we are not assisting the NCA itself, but are keeping the situation under review.
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Zimbabwean Government about the arrest and detention of the journalists Grace Kwinjeh, Farai Muncazi and Fernando Goncalves. [73953]
Mr. Tony Lloyd: I urged President Mugabe, at my meeting with him in Harare on 25 February, to uphold international human rights standards, including freedom of the press.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he or his officials last met representatives of the National Constitutional Assembly of Zimbabwe. [73952]
2 Mar 1999 : Column: 687
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
In the course of their normal duties, officials at the British High Commission in Harare have frequent contact with representatives of the National Constitutional Assembly, some of whom also represent other organisations such as the Zimbabwe Congress of Trades Unions and the Zimbabwe Council of Churches.
I met some of these individual organisations when I visited Zimbabwe in January 1998, and some of them called on officials in London last year. Officials visited Zimbabwe have also met representatives of these organisations.
Mr. Colman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what changes have been made in the composition of the United Kingdom parliamentary delegation to the North Atlantic Assembly. [74392]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
The right hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark) has replaced the hon. Member for City of York (Mr. Bayley) as a member of the delegation.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has held with representatives of the U.S. Government concerning their anti-drugs policies in Colombia. [73714]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
The UK maintains a wide-ranging dialogue on drugs policy with the US. I visited Bogota in September 1997 and October 1998, when I held discussions with the Colombian government on their own approach to the drugs problem.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has held with the Government of Colombia concerning (a) human rights abuses and (b) internal migrations. [73716]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
I have raised the question of human rights, including internal displacement, several times with senior members of the Colombian Government, including President Pastrana and his predecessor, President Samper, both in London and during my two visits to Colombia. These discussions have covered, among other things, the activities of the paramilitaries (which are a major cause of internal migration), impunity, the safety of human rights workers and individual cases.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has held with representatives of British companies operating in Colombia about (a) human rights and (b) environmental damage. [73715]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
I have discussed both human rights and environmental issues with BP.
KPMG
Mr. Ruffley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the services that KPMG have performed for his Department (a) since 1 May 1997 and (b) in the corresponding period prior to 1 May 1997, indicating the remuneration made in each case. [72013]
2 Mar 1999 : Column: 688
Mr. Byers
[holding answer 22 February 1999]: Information on contracts let to KPMG is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The above information does not include contracts let by the Department's Executive Agencies, and I have asked the respective Chief Executives to reply separately to this question.
Letter from Desmond Flynn to Mr. David Ruffley, dated 26 February 1999:
Letter from Ian Jones to Mr. David Ruffley, dated 26 February 1999:
Letter from David Hendon to Mr. David Ruffley, dated 26 February 1999:
Letter from Dr. Seton Bennett to Mr. David Ruffley, dated 26 February 1999:
Letter from P. R. S. Hartnack to Mr. David Ruffley, dated 26 February 1999:
2 Mar 1999 : Column: 689
Letter from John Holden to Mr. David Ruffley, dated 26 February 1999:
Mr. Boswell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on in the current work programme of the Low Pay Commission. [73814]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
The Low Pay Commission has been asked to monitor and evaluate the introduction and impact of the national minimum wage, with particular reference to the effect on pay, employment and competitiveness in low paying sectors and small firms; particular groups of workers, such as young people, women, ethnic minorities, homeworkers, people with disabilities and voluntary sector workers; pay structures, including the effect on differentials and different pay systems; and training.
In view of the representations received on the accommodation offset that can be counted towards the national minimum wage, we have also asked the Commission to give early advice on that issue. It is for the Commission to formulate a programme of work to meet these remits.
Mr. Boswell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he is taking to encourage the transfer of British technology and expertise in the offshore oil and gas industries to the offshore wind farm industry. [73815]
Mr. Battle:
Offshore wind has the potential to make a substantial contribution in future to sustainable and diverse energy supplies and I am pleased to see that UK industry is coming together in this area.
You asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he would list the services that KPMG have performed for his Department (a) since 1 May 1997 and (b) in the corresponding period to 1 May 1997, indicating the remuneration made in each case. In the absence of Peter Joyce, the Chief Executive, I have been asked to reply on behalf of The Insolvency Service.
KPMG, as an organisation, have not performed any services for The Insolvency Service in the periods in question. Payments have however been made to KPMG in relation to work done by individual members of the firm in relation to disqualification proceedings brought against directors of failed companies where those individuals acted as liquidator, administrative receiver or administrator of the company.
The fees paid for such work are as follows:
(a) since 1 May 1997 £85,600
(b) in the corresponding period prior to 1 May 1997 £72,100.
You recently tabled a Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry about the services that KPMG have performed for his Department. I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Employment Tribunals Service (ETS) which is an executive agency of the DTI.
The ETS has not engaged the services of KPMG.
The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply on behalf of the Radiocommunications Agency to your Parliamentary Question about the Agency's use of KPMG.
This Agency entered into no contracts with KPMG since 1 May 1997. It used KPMG's services on one occasion before that date. In financial year 1996/97 the Agency commissioned KPMG to provide financial advice on the establishment of a joint venture company. The remuneration amounted to £120,244 ex-VAT.
The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory to your question about the services that KPMG have performed for the Agency both prior to and since 1 May 1997.
Since its creation as a Next Steps Agency in 1989, the National Weights and Measures Laboratory has not availed itself of the services of KPMG.
I am replying for the Patent Office to your question to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry about the services performed by KPMG and details of any remuneration made by the Patent Office. I can confirm that a nil return is appropriate.
I have now been invited to reply directly to you concerning your question, no 72013, tabled on 16 February 1999, asking the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the services that KPMG have performed for his Department since 1st May 1997 and in the corresponding period prior to 1st May 1997.
I can advise that KPMG have provided consultancy support in developing the business case for the introduction of the Government Procurement Card between October 1998 and March 1999. The consultancy was commissioned by the Treasury and has been undertaken at no cost to Companies House.
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