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Tir Cymen

Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many applications were received in (a) 1996, (b) 1997 and (c) 1998 from farmers to join Tir Cymen; what area of land they represented; how many were approved; and what area of land they represented. [77858]

Mr. Jon Owen Jones: The number of formal applications and the area of land they represented is not readily available. However, over the first five years, 70 per cent. of formal applications concluded in Tir Cymen agreements.

YearNumber of agreementsAreas of agreements (Ha)
199617411,955
19971808,597
19981306,157

Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.


Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the differences between the Tir Cymen scheme and the Countryside Stewardship scheme operated in England. [77859]

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Mr. Jon Owen Jones: The differences between the Tir Cymen Scheme and the Countryside Stewardship Scheme operated in England are as follows:








Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.

Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total area of land covered by the Tir Cymen scheme; and what is the area covered by the scheme within the less favoured areas and its proportion of the total less favoured area. [77857]

Mr. Jon Owen Jones: By the end of March 1998 the total area of land under Tir Cymen agreement was 89,304 ha. As at 31 March 1998 there were 898 Tir Cymen agreements within less favoured areas in Wales which amounts to some 88 per cent. of the total number of Tir Cymen agreements (1,023 agreements).

Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a mater for the National Assembly.

Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total budget allocated to Tir Cymen for each of the last three years [77860]

Mr. Jon Owen Jones: The budget allocation was as follows:

£ million
YearTotal Expenditure
1996-975.3
1997-985.7
1998-996.2

Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.


22 Mar 1999 : Column: 56

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

Green Transport Plan

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what involvement fleet managers have had in drawing up his Department's Green Transport Plan. [77966]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The DfEE and Employment Service fleet managers have been fully involved in the development of Green Transport Plans.

Departmental Budget

Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was his Department's budget in cash terms and at 1998-99 prices for (a) 1992-93 to 1998-99 and (b) his estimate for 1999-2000 to 2001-02. [77332]

Mr. Mudie: The figures are set out in the following table.

£ million
YearCashReal terms at 1998-99 prices
1992-9310,67712,390
1993-9413,37815,123
1994-9513,98815,590
1995-9613,98115,141
1996-9714,00914,718
1997-9814,53314,896
1998-9014,56214,562
1999-0015,70215,319
2000-0117,53116,692
2001-0218,91617,565

Notes:

1. Figures are DfEE's Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) and include both OFSTED and the Employment Service. Figures do not include expenditure on the welfare to work programme financed through the windfall tax, which is classified under a separate DEL. Figures also do not include spending by local authorities. Figures for 1992-93 to 1997-98 are outturn. Figure for 1998-99 is estimated outturn. Figures for 1999-00 to 2001-02 are plans.

2. According to Government accounting conventions, the figures include the recource accounting costs of student loans rather than the cash outlay costs.

3. Figure for 1997-98 includes £527m (cash) transferred from local authorities for the nursery voucher scheme. Figure for 1992-93 does not include funding for further education, which was transferred from local to central government from 1993-94 onwards.


British Lecturers (Italy)

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what action he has taken to ensure the right of establishment of British lecturers at Italian universities; and if he will make a statement. [77128]

Mr. Wilson: I have been asked to reply.

Mother-tongue foreign language teachers in Italian universities ("lettori"), most of whom are non-Italian nationals, are campaigning for recognition of their right under the Treaty of Rome to equality of employment conditions with their Italian colleagues in other disciplines.

22 Mar 1999 : Column: 57

The UK Government have been pursuing this issue with the European Commission and the Italian Government. My noble Friend the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe, whose responsibilities include completion of the Single Market, has written to Minister Letta, his Italian counterpart, to press for an early resolution of the problem. He also urged Minister Letta to ensure that individual university Rectors were aware of their obligation to respect the lettori's acquired rights under the Treaty of Rome. Our Embassy in Rome is currently following up this letter with the Italian authorities.

My noble Friend also wrote to Commissioner Flynn, supporting the infraction proceedings which the European Commission is currently bringing against the Italian authorities in respect of this issue. He received in return Mr. Flynn's assurance that he was fully committed to pursuing the matter.

The Government are committed to making the Single Market work, as much for individual citizens as for business. We will do all we can to help bring about a satisfactory solution to the problems faced by the lettori.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Common Foreign and Security Policy

Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 26 January 1999, Official Report, column 212, on common foreign and security policy working groups, if he will list the proposals currently under discussion under each subject heading. [76360]

Ms Quin: The common foreign and security policy working groups meet on average once a month. The agenda for each working group meeting is wide ranging, covering current issues of concern in the group's area of interest. For example, there were 16 items for discussion on the agenda of the Africa working group this month.

Discussion in working groups looks at current EU policy towards all the major foreign policy issues of the day. Among the items on the agenda for the Africa working group this month were Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia and Eritrea, Sierra Leone and Rwanda. Major issues in other working groups in recent weeks have been Kosovo, the Russia common strategy, Sudan, East Timor, the Middle East peace process and preparation for the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. Agendas can change at short notice, given the fast-moving nature of common foreign and security policy issues.


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