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Pakistan
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact on Pakistan's political stability of the Taliban movement. [82874]
Mr. Fatchett: We are concerned about the impact on regional security of the continued conflict and instability in Afghanistan. I discussed this issue with the Pakistani authorities when I visited Pakistan in February. I urged them to use any influence they had with the Taliban and other factions to encourage a peaceful and lasting settlement in Afghanistan.
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice he has given to the High Commission in Pakistan regarding relations with (a) MQM and (b) Mohajirs; and if he will make a statement. [82876]
Mr. Fatchett: In line with our policy of dialogue with all ranges of political opinion in Pakistan, the British High Commission in Islamabad and Deputy High Commission in Karachi regularly meet representatives of both the MQM and the wider Mohajir community.
Ministerial Visits
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for ministerial visits to (a) Pakistan and (b) India. [82873]
Mr. Fatchett: Neither I nor my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has current plans to visit India and Pakistan.
Spain
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many United Kingdom citizens over the age of (a) 75 and (b) 80 years are serving jail terms in Spain. [82877]
Mr. Fatchett: There are at present no British prisoners over the age of 75 in Spanish jails.
Ikbalbhai Chandubhai Khalifa
Mr. Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a decision will be made on the settlement application made by Ikbalbhai Chandubhai Khalifa, Bombay reference AP/98/5/145. [82754]
Mr. Fatchett: A decision was made on this application on 19 April. We have asked our Deputy High Commission in Bombay for full details. My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Baroness Symons, will be writing to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
EU Industry Council
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish the agenda for the forthcoming EU Industry Council of 29 April. [82178]
30 Apr 1999 : Column: 274
Mr. Byers:
The Industry Council on 29 April 1999 covered a number of issues, the principal of which were:
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make it his policy to introduce legislation to require companies to undertake a ballot of all employees before making donations to political parties. [82640]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
The Government do not see a case for requiring companies to ballot employees before making donations to political parties. They have accepted the recommendation of the Committee on Standards in Public Life that there should be a legal obligation on companies intending to make a political donation to have the prior authority of their shareholders, and have published a consultative document seeking views on the implementation of the Committee's recommendations.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many organisations will be (a) directly and (b) indirectly responsible for regulating auditors under his Department's proposals for regulating accountancy and auditing. [82548]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
The new framework for the regulation of the accountancy profession, which I announced on 28 April, does not affect the bodies recognised under the Companies Act 1989 to supervise auditors, of which there are at present five. However, the framework establishes three new independent boards covering ethical standards, investigation and discipline, and auditing standards, which largely replace existing bodies and whose work will underpin particular aspects of auditor regulation. These bodies will come under the scrutiny of a new independent Review Board and appointments to them, and to the Review Board, will be made by an independent Foundation.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many inspectors currently deployed to carry out investigations under the Companies Acts, the Financial Services Act 1986, the Insolvency Acts and the Insurance Companies Acts have business connections with accountancy firms criticised in previous DTI inspectors' reports. [82651]
Dr. Howells:
Currently, one Inspector is from a firm which was criticised in the Inspectors' report on The Bestwood plc, published in 1994. This report deals with events which took place before 1990.
30 Apr 1999 : Column: 275
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will seek to introduce a section equivalent to section 150 of the Financial Services Act 1986 to the Companies Acts. [82647]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
The Government currently have no plans to introduce legislation to this effect. However, the roles and liabilities of directors and auditors will be examined as part of the Company Law Review.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list each of the new responsibilities which he will assume when the signed Treaty of Amsterdam takes effect and for each (a) the likely effect on departmental staffing, (b) the bodies or persons in the European Union principally concerned and (c) the relevant section of that treaty and the consolidated treaties of the European Union and European Community. [80408]
Mr. Byers:
The Treaty of Amsterdam will have minimal impact on the responsibilities of the Department.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the (a) mandate, (b) membership and (c) frequency of meetings of the Anglo-Spanish Working Group on Employment and Economic Reform. [82235]
The Prime Minister:
The British-Spanish Working Group on Employment and Economic Reform complements and builds upon existing British-Spanish bilateral co-operation on labour market reform. As stated in the Declaration on Employment and Economic Reform agreed at the British-Spanish Summit on 10 April, the Working Group will promote all aspects of co-operation between the two countries regarding economic reform.
The Working Group will be co-ordinated at Ministerial level. The UK co-ordinator will be my hon. Friend the Economic Secretary to the Treasury. The detail and timing of meetings are currently under discussion with the Spanish government.
Mrs. Gillan:
To ask the Prime Minister for what reason the Cabinet meeting scheduled for 22 April was cancelled; and on how many occasions since 1969 Cabinet meetings have been cancelled. [82878]
The Prime Minister:
It is established practice under section 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information not to disclose information relating to proceedings of Cabinet and Cabinet Committees. The Cabinet usually, but not invariably, meets once a week when Parliament is in session.
Mr. Hague:
To ask the Prime Minister if he has decided to refer the case of Chief Petty Officer Steven Hayden to the Security Commission. [83230]
30 Apr 1999 : Column: 276
The Prime Minister:
After consulting the Chairman of the Security Commission and the right hon. Gentleman, I have decided to refer this case to the Security Commission. The terms of reference will be:
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what advice his Department gives to members of the judiciary as to the content of speeches, with reference to language that could be interpreted as discriminating on grounds of sex, race or sexuality. [82825]
Mr. Hoon:
The Lord Chancellor expects judges to exercise personal responsibility in such matters, in order to ensure that nothing they say or do undermines the image of the judiciary as being impartial and even-handed towards all members of the community.
Open debate on the competitiveness of EU industry in the light of globalisation.
Possible political agreement on proposals to amend Council Regulations 199/65/EEC and 17/62EEC (Vertical Restraints Block Exemption Enabling Regulations).
Possible political agreement on a Common Position on draft Directive on the Late Payment of Commercial Debt.
"To investigate the circumstances in which breaches of security have or may have occurred arising out of the case of Chief Petty Officer Steven Hayden, who was convicted on 23 October 1998 of offences under Section 1 of the Official Secrets Act 1989; and to advise in the light of that investigation whether any change in security arrangements is necessary or desirable."
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