| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Special Advisers
Mr. Tyrie:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his answer of 21 April 1999, Official Report, column 577, if he will give the total travel
10 May 1999 : Column: 34
cost of each occasion when (a) departmental special advisers travelled abroad in an official capacity since 2 May 1997 and (b) the place visited. [82412]
Mr. Chris Smith:
For the period 2 May 1997 to 31 March 1999, special advisers in my Department have travelled overseas in an official capacity on two occasions to the USA and France.
The total cost of travel and any hotel accommodation is £7,739. All travel complied with the requirements of the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code.
Mr. Swayne:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations he has received regarding lifting the restrictions on religious organisations which prevent them holding national terrestrial radio broadcasting licences; and if he will make a statement; [83129]
Mr. Pickthall:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on United Christian Broadcasting's application for a broadcasting licence. [83044]
Janet Anderson:
The Broadcasting Act 1990 disqualifies groups whose objectives are wholly or mainly of a religious nature from holding a terrestrial national radio licence issued by the Radio Authority. However, this disqualification does not extend to local, satellite and cable radio licences where the Authority is permitted to licence religious bodies subject to compliance with its religious guidelines. It is under these provisions that, for example, United Christian Broadcasters already holds two satellite broadcast licences from the Radio Authority. A religious organisation can hold a digital satellite radio licence but not a terrestrial digital radio multiplex or sound programme service licence under the 1996 Broadcasting Act.
My Department has received representations from United Christian Broadcasters, from around two hundred Members of Parliament and more than ten thousand representations from members of the public. We are considering these representations and I will be meeting representatives of United Christian Broadcasters on 10 June to explore their concerns more fully.
Asylum (Kosovan Albanians)
Mr. Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to revise the rules governing refusal of asylum on safe third country grounds in respect of Kosovan Albanians. [83614]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
We are not persuaded that it is necessary to change the Immigration Rules. The Dublin Convention provides an agreed legal framework for deciding which member state should decide asylum applications made in the European Union. It provides for a range of criteria to be taken into account including the applicant's family links. Member states have not decided to suspend the operation of the Convention in respect of Kosovan Albanians. In recent weeks, we have transferred
10 May 1999 : Column: 35
a small number of Kosovans to other member states. In each case the receiving state had, in accordance with the provisions of the Dublin Convention, accepted responsibility for considering the asylum applications. All of these persons had arrived in the European Union before the recent North Atlantic Treaty Organisation action. None of those Kosovans who are being airlifted directly from the region to the United Kingdom will be transferred to other states on safe third country grounds.
Mr. Allan:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Kosovan Albanians have been (a) refused asylum and (b) removed to other countries on safe third country grounds since 24 March. [83615]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The available information is that no nationals of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, whose cases have been considered substantively, have been refused asylum in the period January to March 1999. It is not possible separately to identify Kosovans within the statistics held on nationals of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
All applications for asylum are considered within the terms of the 1951 United Nations Convention on the Status of Refugees and its 1967 New York Protocol. At the present time, and in general, ethnic Albanians from Kosovo who apply for asylum are likely to be able to demonstrate that they have a well-founded fear of persecution and will be granted asylum.
Where, under the provisions of the Dublin Convention, another European Union member state accepts that it is responsible for determining the claim we would normally seek to transfer the applicant there. Six nationals of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, excluding dependants, have been transferred to European Union Member states since 24 March 1999 under the Dublin Convention. All of these persons had arrived in the European Union before the recent North Atlantic Treaty Organisation action. None who arrived since that date have been transferred. No Ethnic Albanians from Kosovo will be returned to the region while the conflict lasts.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to accommodate Kosovan refugees in East Lancashire. [83605]
Mr. Straw:
The Refugee Council and its partner agencies are working closely with the Home Office and local government associations to identify sites for further reception centres across the United Kingdom. We are looking at all parts of the United Kingdom. There will be a variety of different forms of accommodation used as temporary reception centres where the refugees can be housed prior to moving into more settled accommodation.
Mr. Allan:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what payments have been made to Siemens Business Systems in respect of work for the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to date. [83617]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
Details of the payment arrangements between the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) and Siemens Business Services are commercially confidential. A high proportion of the payments to the supplier are linked to the successful delivery of key elements of the IND Casework
10 May 1999 : Column: 36
Programme, including the computer system and improvements in IND's productivity. In effect it is payment on delivery of specific parts of the contract.
Mr. Allan:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the additional costs to the Government which have resulted from the late delivery of the Siemens Business Systems contract with the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. [83618]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
Under the terms of the contract between the Immigration and Nationality Directorate and Siemens Business Services (SBS), the financial risk for the late delivery of elements of the Casework Programme is borne by Siemens Business Services. Although development of the full information technology application has been delayed, many elements of the Programme, in particular improvements to the business process and some new information technology, have been delivered. A package of changes to the contractual payment terms has been negotiated with SBS.
Mr. Allan:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what penalties have been imposed on Siemens Business Systems for late delivery of work at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. [83613]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The Immigration and Nationality Directorate's Casework Programme is a Private Finance Initiative. A high proportion of the payments to the supplier, Siemens Business Services, are linked to the successful delivery of key elements of the Programme, including the computer system, and to improvements in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's productivity. If the expected benefits are not achieved, the payments to the supplier fall below the target in the contract. The delay in delivering the Programme and the Computer system means that Siemens Business Services have received substantially less income.
Mr. Allan:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the total cost of the contract with Siemens Business Systems for work at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. [83612]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The contract contains a novel charging mechanism in which the Immigration and Nationality Directorate pays for services provided as specified in the contract. Milestone charges relating to the delivery of key elements of the business process improvements and the information technology system and a productivity-related charge is based on the level of savings achieved. Because payments are linked to productivity-related savings, it is difficult to predict the value of payments to be made to Siemens Business Services.
Dr. David Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for information he received under the Open Government Code of Practice on Access to Government Information in the last parliamentary session; and how many of these applications were granted. [83108]
Mr. Straw:
For monitoring purposes, this information is collected on a calendar year basis. Information for 1997 was published last year in the Open Government Code
10 May 1999 : Column: 37
of Practice on Access to Government Information 1997 Report. In 1998, my Department received 43 applications for information under the Code, and granted 36 of them.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |