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Claim Forms (Production Costs)
Mr. Steen:
To ask the President of the Council what was the cost of the production of claim forms for (i) the Members' Car Allowance Scheme, (ii) the Members' constituency mileage continuation sheets, (iii) C1 reimbursement, (iv) C2 direct payment and (v) C3 direct
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payment secretarial claim forms; how many staff are employed to administer them; and at what cost in the last year for which figures are available. [77625]
Mrs. Beckett:
The cost of the production of the forms in the 1998 calendar year were as follows:
No copies of the Members Car Allowance Scheme and Mileage booklets were produced in the period as existing stocks were used.
All staff who are employed on the administration of these forms have other duties and so it is not possible to give completely accurate salary costs. However, total staff costs of paying car allowances and expenses paid in respect of forms C1 and C2 is in the region of £175,000.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 3 February 1999, Official Report, columns 642-43, on overseas publications, if he will place copies of the articles he wrote for the foreign newspapers listed in his answer in the Library. [76459]
The Prime Minister:
My office does not keep copies of articles written for foreign newspapers.
However, the House of Commons Library does provide a cuttings service for Members. The right hon. Member may wish to contact the staff in the Library, who will endeavour to assist him in obtaining copies of the articles.
Mr. Drew:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the relationship between the No. 10 Policy Unit and the Social Exclusion Unit. [76675]
The Prime Minister
[holding answer 18 March 1999]: The Units work together closely.
Mr. Drew:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the working groups which report to the Social Exclusion Unit. [76676]
The Prime Minister
[holding answer 18 March 1999]: There are no specific working groups which formally report to the Social Exclusion Unit. Civil servants and others from outside work with the Social Exclusion Unit as necessary to prepare reports and act on their recommendations. For example, eighteen policy action teams from across Government are carrying forward work identified in the Unit's report "Bringing Britain Together: a National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal" (Cm 4045).
Mr. Maclennan:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will amend the Code of Conduct for Ministers to include a prohibition against attempting to procure the (a) appointment, (b) promotion and (c) dismissal of
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individual journalists, and an obligation to make any complaints about journalists in writing, and to place them on public record. [77615]
The Prime Minister
[holding answer 19 March 1999]: Decisions on the employment of journalists are a matter for the media organisations concerned.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of his letter dispatched to the Head of the European Socialist Party concerning the January motions of confidence in the European Parliament on fraud and the Commission; who else received copies; and if he will make a statement. [78396]
The Prime Minister:
I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Windsor (Mr. Trend) on 17 March 1999, Official Report, column 706.
Dr. Moonie:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement regarding the functions and responsibilities of the Lord Advocate in connection with the implementation of the Scotland Act 1998. [78277]
The Prime Minister:
As a consequence of the new constitutional arrangements under the Scotland Act 1998, I have approved a reallocation of certain functions and responsibilities of the Lord Advocate to the Secretary of State and the Advocate-General for Scotland.
The overall intention of these transfers of functions and responsibilities is to ensure the appropriate distribution of the Lord Advocate's functions during the transitional period up to 1 July 1999 and after the Scottish Executive takes up its full powers on 1 July 1999. I am placing in the Library of the House a short paper which sets out the background to these transfers.
Copies of the Transfer of Functions (Lord Advocate and Secretary of State) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/678) and the Transfer of Functions (Lord Advocate and Advocate- General for Scotland) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/679), which were made by Her Majesty in Council on 10 March, have been laid before both Houses.
In addition to the transfer of statutory functions which would be effected by these transfer of functions orders, it is proposed that ministerial responsibility for the general oversight of certain branches of the law of Scotland will pass from the Lord Advocate to the Secretary of State on 19 May 1999, when the statutory functions are also transferred to them. No formal order is required to give effect to this transfer, which will be carried out by administrative arrangement.
The matters concerned are connected in whole or in part with the administration of justice in Scotland. They include the matters for which responsibility was transferred to the Lord Advocate in 1972, as referred to in a statement made by the then Prime Minister on 21 December 1972, Official Report, column 456, namely:
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In addition, there will also be transferred to the Secretary of State the responsibilities of the Lord Advocate for various matters which are related to the matters mentioned above, namely;
6. Mr. Andy King:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress towards establishing the learning forces initiative announced in the strategic defence review. [75969]
14. Mr. Drew:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress towards establishing the learning forces initiative announced in the strategic defence review. [75978]
Mr. George Robertson:
We are making good progress with our learning forces initiative. At home and abroad, our Service personnel are already benefiting from increased educational opportunities. The learning forces initiative is also a powerful tool which will aid recruiting and retention.
13. Mr. Goggins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action he is taking to combat racism in the armed services. [75977]
Mr. Borrow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his plans to combat racism within the armed services. [75971]
Mr. Spellar:
I place the highest priority on tackling racism within the Services. Our equal opportunities policies are ensuring that racism is challenged and that our Services more truly represent--and benefit from--our multi-cultural society.
We are now working to develop a culture which welcomes racial diversity. I have agreed a new corporate framework for equal opportunities which will encourage this. I commend it to the House. A copy is being placed in the Library.
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15. Mr. Bob Russell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many air, army and sea cadets there were (a) at 1 May 1997 and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available. [75979]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
The number of cadets is calculated at the end of the financial year.
Therefore, on 31 March 1997 there were:
C1 forms £230.23
C2 forms £342.36
C3 forms £368.11.
(a) the jurisdiction and procedure of Scottish courts in civil proceedings;
(b) the law relating to the enforcement of the judgments of Scottish courts in civil matters and the recognition and enforcement of judgments of foreign courts, other than orders for the payment of maintenance;
(c) the law of evidence;
(d) the law relating to prescription and the limitation of actions;
(e) the law relating to arbitration;
(f) the law relating to fatal accident inquiries.
(a) the private international law of Scotland including functions in relation to the Hague Conventions dealing with International Child Abduction, Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Obligations, Taking of Evidence Abroad and Service of Process;
(b) the jurisdiction and procedure of tribunals; and
(c) mediation and
(d) alternative dispute resolution.
12,011 Sea Cadets--excluding junior members of the Corps,
On 31 March 1998, the latest date for which figures are available, there were:
39,827 Army Cadets,
33,196 Air Cadets,
and 39,716 members of the Combined Cadet Force.
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