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Cold Weather Payments (Enfield)
Ms Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total amount of money paid in cold weather payments in 1998 to people resident in (a) the London Borough of Enfield and (b) the constituency of Enfield, North. [75835]
Angela Eagle:
During 1998, there were no cold weather payments issued for the London Borough of Enfield or the constituency of Enfield, North.
12 Mar 1999 : Column: 397
Mr. Duncan Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the total annual national insurance rebate to private pensions paid from the national insurance fund has been for the last 10 years. [75847]
| £ billion | |
|---|---|
| Tax year | Rebate |
| 1988-89 | 5.07 |
| 1989-90 | 7.72 |
| 1990-91 | 7.78 |
| 1991-92 | 8.54 |
| 1992-93 | 8.82 |
| 1993-94 | 7.90 |
| 1994-95 | 6.99 |
| 1995-96 | 7.10 |
| 1996-97 | 7.37 |
| 1997-98 | 7.58 |
Note:
The figures show the total rebates in respect of both occupational and personal pension schemes in GB and include:
(i) a 2 per cent. incentive paid to certain schemes on earnings accrued in tax years 1988-89 to 1992-93; and
(ii) a 1 per cent. age addition paid to all personal pension scheme holders aged 30 and over on earnings accrued in tax years 1993-94 to 1996-97.
Source:
Government Actuary's Department and the Contributions Agency.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
European Communities Budget
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library documentation supplied by successful applicants to budget line A-3021 in their application, in as far as it relates to how the organisation demonstrates that it works towards European integration. [75085]
Ms Quin: The Report on Beneficiaries of Community Grants 1997 was placed in the Library last year. The 1998 Report will be placed in the Library when it is published.
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role his Department has in the selection of awards under Article A-3021 of the General Budget of the European Union, Grants to Organisations Which Actively Promote European Integration; what is his Department's policy as regards future funding of organisations under that Article; and what reports his Department receives of the activities of organisations so funded. [75084]
Ms Quin: The selection of awards under Article A-3021 of the General Budget of the European Union is a matter for the European Union Commission in Brussels; and all activities funded under this budget line are monitored in the first instance by the Commission. Reports on activities funded under this article are available through the Commission.
India (Nuclear Energy)
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has
12 Mar 1999 : Column: 398
received from the Indian Government regarding collaboration on civilian nuclear energy; and if he will make a statement. [75937]
Mr. Fatchett:
No representations on this subject have been received from the Indian Government.
Mr. Mullin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Turkey regarding (a) the treatment in detention of and (b) a fair trial for the Kurdish leader Mr. Ocalan; and if he will make a statement. [76128]
Ms Quin:
We have made clear to the Turkish authorities the importance we attach to the trial of Mr. Ocalan being conducted in strict accordance with the rule of law and due process. We have asked that members of the British Embassy be allowed to attend the trial. We remain opposed to the use of the death penalty under any circumstances.
We welcome the public assurances by the Turkish authorities that Mr. Ocalan will receive a fair trial, and that he will be well treated in detention.
Mr. David Atkinson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what data he has collated on other countries' computer millennium compliance readiness; and if he will make a statement. [76061]
Mr. Fatchett:
We have long recognised the potential problems that could be caused internationally by the millennium bug. The UK is working hard to raise global awareness. Reliable information is difficult to obtain. However, we are working closely with other countries and international organisations to build up a picture of the state of readiness around the world in order to minimise potential disruption caused by millennium bug failures and to address potential consequences for British interests.
Mr. Love:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he plans to change any of the consular fees. [76948]
Mr. Fatchett:
It costs more to issue a passport overseas than it does in the UK because the volume at each issuing post is small. Until now the additional cost of issuing passports overseas has been met out of fees charged for passports issued in the UK. In future, the costs of issuing passports overseas will be met in full from the fee charged to the applicant. The fee for issuing a passport in the United Kingdom remains unchanged.
The new charges, which will take effect from 12 April 1999, are:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Standard (32 page) passport | 43 |
| Frequent Traveller (48 page) | 50 |
| Child passport (5 years validity) | 25 |
| Emergency passport | 20 |
| Amendments to an existing passport | 30 |
12 Mar 1999 : Column: 399
Exports
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the Government's arrangements for the support and promotion of exports. [77075]
Mr. Robin Cook: I am delighted to do so, also on behalf of the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.
This Government attach great importance to the promotion of exports. That is why in June last year the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and I asked the Secretary of the Cabinet, Sir Richard Wilson, to review the current arrangements for the support and promotion of exports. I am pleased to be able to announce today the outcome of that Review. Copies of Sir Richard's report have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses, and will be widely distributed. It is also available on request to members of the public, and the executive summary can be found on the FCO and DTI websites.
The report records the excellent service given by personnel working on export promotion activity throughout the United Kingdom and in FCO posts around the world, while at the same time identifying a number of areas in the current arrangements which leave scope for improvement.
My right hon. Friend and I welcome the recommendations, the core of which is that all trade promotion and development activities of the DTI and FCO should be unified in a new joint operation led by a single Chief Executive. The Government will expedite the establishment of such a unified operation, equipped with resources, both personnel and finance, broadly along the lines recommended in the Review. It will be known as "British Trade International". This will be a radical change. The new operation, which will have lead responsibility within Government for trade promotion and development, will provide a coherent framework for the Government's work in this area. We are confident that it will deliver an even better service to business.
The operation's first Chief Executive, who will have Permanent Secretary rank, will be Sir David Wright, currently Ambassador in Tokyo. We are confident that, with his experience of export promotion at home and abroad, he is ideally equipped for the task. He will be responsible, in consultation with DTI and FCO and others concerned, for the design of the new operation's precise configuration and the implementation of Sir Richard's other recommendations. Sir David will of course have flexibility over the details of the implementation, and he will have effective control over the operation's resources and personnel. And he will be responsible to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and myself, through a ministerially chaired board, for the performance of the entire operation from local to international level. This will be measured against a national export development strategy and objectives which the board will set.
The new board will be chaired by DTI and FCO Ministers and will subsume the present British Overseas Trade Board. It will be drawn predominantly from the private sector. In addition to senior officials from the FCO, DTI and the Exports Credits Guarantee Department, it will also contain representatives of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland administrations to guarantee their direct involvement in shaping the national strategy.
12 Mar 1999 : Column: 400
The current arrangements for the delivery of export promotion services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will continue within the context of national policy. The Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish administrations would continue to have discretion to provide supplementary programmes to meet the particular needs of businesses in those parts of the United Kingdom.
Overseas delivery of the services of the new operation will continue through our diplomatic posts overseas. Heads of Mission will be responsible to the Chief Executive for the performance of their posts in support of British business abroad against the strategy and objectives of the new operation.
In England, the new operation will place greater emphasis on effective delivery of export services in the regions. The regional and local network, at present in Government Regional Offices and Business Links, will be integral to the new unified operation, under the effective control of the Chief Executive. In implementing the recommendations, the Chief Executive will need to work closely with the new Small Business Service which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced earlier this week on 10 March 1999, Official Report, columns 367-79, and the Regional Development Agencies in each region.
British Trade International will seek to provide a fast, consistent and high quality response to its customers in the business community. It will be staffed by personnel from both the FCO and DTI, and may also recruit directly, including through secondments. It will be supported by modern IT and other facilities designed to provide integrated information and communication systems.
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