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Genetically Modified Crops
Mr. Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions in relation to the approved field trials of genetically modified crops, what evidence is (a) currently available and (b) in the process of being collected, in respect of (i) pollen transfer, (ii) horizontal gene flow to soil bacteria, (iii) changes in the nature of residues in the final product, with particular reference to neurotoxins, metabolites and those in its transgenic counterpart, (iv) transfer of genes from plants to micro-organisms, (v) transfer of genes between plant species and (vi) the impact on insect and wildlife in the local ecosystem. [78015]
Mr. Meacher:
There is no readily available comprehensive list of all this work, though the more relevant papers are referenced in various DETR/Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment publications lodged in the Library or placed on the DETR internet site. Research into details of all the processes is continuing,
11 May 1999 : Column: 108
but mainly in Universities and relevant research institutes. The primary aim of the farm-scale evaluations is to investigate the impacts on wildlife populations and biodiversity in growing these crops on the field scale.
Mr. Peter Bradley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has (a) for the reduction of speed limits on country lanes and in villages and (b) to introduce a network of rural roads on which pedestrians, cyclists and horseriders will have priority over motorists. [83184]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The contribution speed limits can make in effectively managing speed on rural roads is one of the issues being considered within the current speed policy review. Local authorities will soon have the power to make 20mph limits/zones without the consent of the Secretary of State. The new legislation is likely to come into force later this month provided Parliament approves. Evidence suggests these limits are successful only in conjunction with measures that encourage the driver to slow down.
That aside, there is much that can be done within existing legislation and using proven techniques to protect walkers, cyclists and horseriders from the worst excesses of traffic on minor country roads. The Department is working with the Countryside Agency's Countryside Traffic Management Group to develop good practice guidance on rural traffic management designed with sensitivity to the countryside environment.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the subjects (a) he plans to raise and (b) he expects to be raised by others at the forthcoming Environment Council of 7 to 9 May. [83286]
Mr. Meacher:
I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 22 April 1999, Official Report, column 625. We have since been notified that there will also be two brief presentations during the Informal Environment Council, one on the integration of environmental issues into EU policies and the other on EU Enlargement. In addition, there will be opportunities for me to engage in informal discussions with other Environment Ministers on a wide range of current environmental issues.
Ms Perham:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to provide taxi ranks at the Millennium Dome site. [83378]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The New Millennium Experience Company will be providing appropriate facilities for both taxis and minicabs at the Millennium Dome site.
Mr. Snape:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received from the travel industry about the practice by airlines of separately listing the passenger service charge on air passenger tickets; what assessment he has made of the impact of the practice on the level of airfares; and if he will make a statement. [R] [83470]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
We have received a number of representations on this issue, both from private individuals and from representatives of the travel industry, including the Guild of Business Travel Agents, the Institute of Travel Management, and the Association of British Travel Agents. I am examining, together with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether showing PSC as a tax may be in contravention of legislation on misleading price indications and trade descriptions. The Office of Fair Trading has written to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) about possible effects of separating out PSC and showing it as a tax in the context of the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1994, and has asked IATA to cease representing PSC as a new tax.
Our general policy is to allow air fare levels to be determined by the market place wherever possible. However, before approving the separating out of PSC, the Civil Aviation Authority sought undertakings from British Airways (BA), the only UK airline with sufficient market share to enable it to bring market power to bear on fares, about the effect on fare levels. BA agreed to reduce its lowest fully flexible fare on such routes by the amount of the PSC, thus leaving the fare paid by the passenger unchanged. Within the EU, fares are governed by EC law. Nonetheless, on a number of intra-EU routes BA has undertaken to keep the total amount paid by passengers unaffected by the separation of the PSC. I understand that these undertakings have now been put into effect.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the introduction of a green transport plan for his Department. [82834]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
Since last July's Integrated Transport White Paper, which set targets for the introduction of green transport plans for Government Departments, we have completed 16 plans to cover our headquarters and main buildings and will complete the remaining plan for the QEII Conference Centre shortly.
We are developing plans for all other key buildings in line with the target for March 2000 set in the Integrated Transport White Paper.
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures the Government are taking to reduce overall waste levels in the United Kingdom. [83624]
Mr. Meale:
The Government will shortly be publishing for consultation their draft waste strategy for England and Wales, which will set out our proposed policies for reducing the levels of waste. Scotland and Northern Ireland will be producing their own strategies.
Ms Lawrence:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps his Department has taken to protect harbour porpoises in United Kingdom waters. [82780]
Mr. Meale:
The UK is taking measures to protect the harbour porpoise through a number of forums, both nationally and internationally. Areas of concern being addressed include by-catch, disturbance and pollution.
Mr. Michael J. Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress is being made in establishing the Strategic Rail Authority. [82792]
Mr. Prescott:
Good progress is being made in establishing the Strategic Rail Authority. The shadow Strategic Rail Authority came into place on 1 April. A Bill to establish the SRA on a statutory basis will be introduced as soon as Parliamentary time permits.
Human Rights Fund
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funding is available under the human rights fund; and what projects were approved for funding in 1998. [83367]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
For financial year 1999-2000, £5.13 million has been allocated to the Human Rights Project Fund, £350,000 to the fund providing Support for International Human Rights Activities and £200,000 to the Commonwealth Human Rights Fund. A list of projects approved for funding under each of these budgets in financial year 1998-99 has been listed. The list of projects supported from the Human Rights Project Fund updates that given in reply to the right hon. Member for Tonbridge and Malling (Sir J. Stanley) on 13 July 1998, Official Report, columns 33-37.
11 May 1999 : Column: 109
| Number | Post/department | Project description | Amount (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Accra | Radio Programmes to raise awareness of women's rights | 40,000 |
| 3 | Accra | Building capacity of NGOs lobbying about the rights of the poor | 46,000 |
| 4 | African Department (Equatorial) | Support to UN Commission on Arms Flows to Rwanda | 50,000 |
| 5 | African Department (Equatorial) | Penal Reform International Initiative in Kigali | 10,328 |
| 6 | African Department (Equatorial) | Support for Nigerian Election Process Initiatives | 179,731 |
| 7 | Addis Ababa | Assistance to Ethiopian Human Rights Conference | 48,060 |
| 8 | Addis Ababa | Support for Ethiopian Women's Lawyer Association (EWLA) | 23,000 |
| 9 | Addis Ababa | Human Rights training for Regional Officials | 24,300 |
| 10 | Addis Ababa | Funding for gender and development officer | 5,000 |
| 11 | Addis Ababa | Films for Street Children by Street Children | 28,500 |
| 12 | Addis Ababa | Provision of legal books for Federal Supreme Court | 10,000 |
| 13 | Almaty | Media and Governance Workshop | 18,858 |
| 14 | Almaty | Publication of Booklets on Human Rights | 2,869 |
| 15 | Almaty | Support to Seminar on Women's Political Participation | 4,500 |
| 16 | Amman | Integrated Support to the Rights of the Child | 78,900 |
| 17 | Ankara | Young Lawyer Exchange Scheme | 37,650 |
| 18 | Ankara | Citizen's Advice Bureau pilot project | 16,540 |
| 19 | Antananarivo | Improvement of Preventive Detention Process | 35,288 |
| 20 | Ashgabat | Assistance to Information Centre and Library of the Institute of Democracy | 6,000 |
| 21 | Atlanta | Young and Human Rights | 5,000 |
| 22 | Bangkok | Human Rights Education and Development Training Programme | 10,050 |
| 23 | Bangkok | Public Education Programme for New Labour Protection Act | 6,455 |
| 24 | Belgrade | Assistance with TV documentaries on human rights | 30,057 |
| 25 | Belmopan | Provision of Training Materials and Support for Human Rights Promoters | 11,500 |
| 26 | Bogota | Support for rehabilitation of Child Prostitutes in Urban Colombia | 45,700 |
| 27 | Bogota | Training of teachers about detection and prevention of child abuse | 18,500 |
| 28 | Brasilia | Training for Federal Government human rights officials | 20,000 |
| 29 | Brasilia | Support to centre for street children | 23,000 |
| 30 | Brasilia | The Life Institute--Shelter for street children | 16,000 |
| 31 | Brasilia | Support to NGO working with street children | 23,000 |
| 32 | Brasilia | Support to centre for street children | 8,500 |
| 33 | Brasilia | British Law Week | 25,000 |
| 34 | Bridgetown | Campaign to raise awareness about violence against women/children | 11,000 |
| 35 | Budapest | Vocational training for Roma in prison | 2,900 |
| 36 | Buenos Aires | British Law Week | 15,000 |
| 37 | Cairo | Support for Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights: Women's Legal Aid Project | 15,600 |
| 38 | Caracas | Legal entitlement workshops for prisoners | 9,200 |
| 39 | Caracas | Publication and distribution of report on human rights | 12,100 |
| 40 | Caracas | Judicial Reform Project | 6,000 |
| 41 | Castries | Training programme for St. Lucian prison officers | 13,500 |
| 42 | China Hong Kong Department | Child rights in China | 25,512 |
| 43 | China Hong Kong Department | British Law Week--Mock Trial | 50,000 |
| 44 | Colombo | Training for Health Officials and Police | 6,000 |
| 45 | Damascus | In-Service Training for Staff Responsible for Detention and Juvenile Centres in Syria | 15,000 |
| 46 | Dar es Salaam | Production and distribution of human rights booklets | 5,000 |
| 47 | Dar es Salaam | Contribution to Arusha peace talks | 50,000 |
| 48 | Dar es Salaam | Support to Arusha III peace talks | 50,000 |
| 49 | Dhaka | Know Your Rights Media Campaign | 20,000 |
| 50 | Dhaka | British Law Week | 36,500 |
| 51 | Dhaka | Study Tour to Promote Legal Awareness for Women | 32,690 |
| 52 | Dominica | Prisons and magistrates courts reform project | 14,190 |
| 1 | Durban | Centre for Socio-legal Studies/Lawyers for Human Rights | 7,500 |
| 53 | Durban | Support for programmes for community conflict management and resolution | 7,500 |
| 54 | Eastern Adriatic Department | Technical Support for Radio B92 in Belgrade | 40,000 |
| 55 | Eastern Adriatic Department | Support to Macedonian Prison Service | 4,000 |
| 56 | Eastern Adriatic Department | Article XIX Balkans Media Seminar | 45,000 |
| 57 | Far Eastern and Pacific Department | Seminar on ethical and professional standards in the media | 65,208 |
| 58 | Gaborone | Support for work on administration of justice on violence against women | 7,100 |
| 59 | Guatemala City | Contribution to Truth Commission | 62,000 |
| 60 | Harare | Provision of CCTV equipment to victim-friendly court | 2,300 |
| 61 | Harare | Human Rights education radio series | 800 |
| 62 | Harare | Rights of the girl child education project | 4,900 |
| 63 | Honiara | Support to Community Based Rehabilitation Programme National Workshop | 3,130 |
| 64 | HRPD | Participation in Oxford International Human Rights Course | 3,500 |
| 65 | HRPD | UNICEF/BBC World Service project on broadcasting to children in conflict | 100,000 |
| 66 | HRPD | Support for NGO working group on rights for disabled children | 15,000 |
| 67 | HRPD | Human Rights and Policing Dissemination Project | 3,500 |
| 68 | HRPD | South Asia Judicial Colloquium | 50,000 |
| 69 | HRPD | PRI International Penal Reform Conference | 50,000 |
| 70 | HRPD | ECPAT Child Sex Tourism Awareness Campaign | 10,000 |
| 71 | HRPD | Design and Operation of Interactive HRPF Microsoft and Database | 18,289 |
| 72 | HRPD | Pilot Study on Non-Consensual Sex in Marriage | 30,000 |
| 73 | HRPD | One World Broadcasting Trust Conference on Media and Children's rights | 25,000 |
| 74 | HRPD | Production of Video Film on Human Rights Aspects of Records Management | 12,000 |
| 75 | HRPD OSCE/CoE | Launch of manual on protecting the rights of street children | 5,000 |
| 76 | HRPD/CoE | Proposed NGO Training Seminar | 25,000 |
| 77 | HRPD/ODHIR | Attachment of gender mainstreaming officer to OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights | 61,000 |
| 78 | HRPD/UKMIS Geneva | Support for UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women | 112,905 |
| 79 | Jakarta | EU Human Rights Seminar | 22,500 |
| 80 | Jakarta | Assistance to National Human Rights Commission and Legal Aid Foundation | 40,400 |
| 81 | Jakarta/South East Asia Department | BBC World Service Training in Support of Indonesian Election Process | 40,000 |
| 82 | Jerusalem | Palestinian Rights Programme | 348,000 |
| 83 | Kampala | Support for Ugandan Human Rights Commission | 30,000 |
| 84 | Kampala | Human Rights Education in Schools | 11,420 |
| 85 | Kampala | Support for "The Prisoner" Magazine | 3,000 |
| 86 | Kathmandu | Regional Seminar on Crimes Against Women and Children | 10,000 |
| 87 | Kathmandu | Legal Aid Service for Women Prisoners in Eastern Nepal | 9,500 |
| 88 | Kathmandu | Translation of PRI Handbook on Good Prison Practice | 2,460 |
| 89 | Kathmandu | Attendance at International Conference on Penal Reform | 1,750 |
| 90 | Khartoum | Publication and distribution of human rights material | 6,500 |
| 91 | Kiev | From Declaration to Reality: Implementing Human Rights in Ukraine | 48,000 |
| 92 | Kiev | Children's rights awareness project | 26,600 |
| 93 | Kiev | Support for human rights NGOs | 33,400 |
| 94 | Kiev | Support to National Conference on Human Rights | 1,500 |
| 95 | Kiev | Printing of International Human Rights Documents for use by Police and Prison Officers | 4,000 |
| 96 | Kingston | Support for Jamaica Council for Human Rights | 14,500 |
| 97 | Kingston | Human Rights Lectures by British Law Lord | 1,700 |
| 98 | Kingstown | Equipment for prison workshop | 5,500 |
| 99 | Kinshasa | Support for Documentation Centre for Legal Studies at Ministry of Justice | 53,000 |
| 100 | Kuala Lumpur | Participation in Oxford International Human Rights Course | 4,000 |
| 101 | Kuala Lumpur | Support to National Human Rights Society | 2,100 |
| 102 | Kuala Lumpur | Support to Sisters in Islam Women's Group | 2,000 |
| 103 | Kuwait | Human rights seminar | 15,000 |
| 104 | Latin America Department | Participation by representative of Northern Ireland Office in Peace Conference in Bogota | 2,000 |
| 105 | Lagos | Prison link units scheme | 17,000 |
| 106 | Lagos | Presidential Committee on Prison Decongestion and Reform | 17,300 |
| 107 | Lima | Contribution to Ad Hoc Pardon Commission | 78,800 |
| 108 | Lima | Support for radio programmes on human rights | 70,000 |
| 109 | Lusaka | Vernacular Leaflets and Broadcasts on Governance | 10,000 |
| 110 | Maputo | Training for Government Officials and Women in Small Businesses | 24,000 |
| 111 | Maseru | Conversations With Abused Women and Children | 7,500 |
| 112 | Mbabane | Support for Human Rights Seminar | 1,500 |
| 113 | Mexico City | Project to promote awareness of women's rights | 161,600 |
| 114 | Mexico City | Production of TV documentary on children's rights | 10,000 |
| 115 | Mexico City | Human rights of HIV/AIDS sufferers: education and awareness project | 10,000 |
| 116 | Moscow | Development of links between human rights NGOs and the mass media | 21,240 |
| 117 | Moscow | Human rights of HIV/AIDS sufferers: education and awareness project | 23,000 |
| 118 | Moscow | Support for regional monitoring of human rights | 25,000 |
| 119 | Moscow | Project to promote public access to information | 18,000 |
| 120 | Moscow | Presidential Commission on Human Rights Conference on Teaching Human Rights | 5,000 |
| 121 | Moscow | Regional Monitoring of Human Rights | 25,000 |
| 122 | Moscow | Youth Human Rights Film Festival | 25,000 |
| 123 | Moscow | Support to "Express-Chronicle" Human Rights Newspaper | 31,250 |
| 124 | Moscow | Support for Early Intervention Centre for Disabled Children | 17,000 |
| 125 | Moscow | Russian Women Lawyers Advocacy and Community Initiatives Project | 24,000 |
| 126 | Moscow | International Journalists Congress | 11,160 |
| 127 | Moscow | Law and Mass Media | 25,000 |
| 128 | Nairobi | Support to International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) | 20,000 |
| 129 | Nairobi | Civic education workshops to promote awareness of role of MPs | 17,900 |
| 130 | Nairobi | Participation in human rights seminar in Belfast | 5,000 |
| 131 | Nairobi | Medical Aid to prisoners and torture victims | 85,000 |
| 132 | Nairobi | Advocacy campaign to promote children's rights | 50,000 |
| 133 | Nairobi | Rift Valley Law Society Link Project | 24,500 |
| 134 | Nairobi | Global March Against Child Labour | 17,000 |
| 135 | Nairobi | Cross-Party Parliamentary Initiative on Consensus Building | 5,000 |
| 136 | New Delhi | Project to raise awareness of human rights in prison management | 85,000 |
| 137 | New Delhi | Training and development of counselling skills for legal NGOs | 28,000 |
| 138 | New Delhi | Mainstreaming a Human rights Module in Civil Service Training | 27,500 |
| 139 | New Delhi | Provision of books and information resources to human rights NGOs | 42,000 |
| 140 | New Delhi | Assistance to Institute of Social Sciences | 11,000 |
| 141 | New Delhi | Pilot Study of Civil Society Mobilisation Against Caste Violence | 9,800 |
| 142 | Peking | Professional Ethics Seminar | 90,000 |
| 143 | Peking | Impact of HR Conventions on National Legislation | 15,000 |
| 144 | Peking | Legal Personality | 15,000 |
| 145 | Peking | Publicity of British policing methods and judicial system | 55,000 |
| 146 | Peking | Training Video for Supreme People's Procuratorate | 35,000 |
| 147 | Peking | Human Rights Education | 27,000 |
| 148 | Phnom Penh | Training for provincial authorities by Cambodian Institute of Human Rights | 24,540 |
| 149 | Phnom Penh | Programme of support for street children | 51,160 |
| 150 | Port Louis | Media training | 8,000 |
| 151 | Prague | Education for Czech Roma Children Project | 40,000 |
| 152 | Pretoria | Simunye News (community newspaper) | 3,800 |
| 153 | Pretoria | Support for 2nd African Human Rights Conference | 5,000 |
| 154 | Pretoria | All Africa Human Rights Moot Court Competition | 5,000 |
| 155 | Pretoria | Strengthening links between African Human Rights NGOs | 10,000 |
| 156 | Pretoria | Media Training | 6,500 |
| 157 | Pretoria | Participation in Oxford International Human Rights Course | 10,000 |
| 158 | Pretoria | CSVR Safe Schools Project | 50,000 |
| 159 | Quito | Promotion of women's participation in politics | 41,513 |
| 160 | South Asian Department | Joint human rights projects with UK company | 8,386 |
| 161 | Sana'a | UK/Yemen Criminal Justice System | 66,000 |
| 162 | Santiago | Support for implementation of prison reform | 4,534 |
| 163 | Sarajevo | Human Rights Advocacy and Training (project to be completed FY 1999-2000) | 39,160 |
| 164 | Sarajevo | Women's Advice and Support Centres | 15,000 |
| 165 | SEAD | UK/Philippines initiative on child welfare | 161,400 |
| 166 | Seoul | Seminar on "Protecting the Vulnerable" | 11,800 |
| 167 | Singapore | Participation in Wilton Park Conference on Promoting Press Freedom | 3,500 |
| 168 | Tbilisi | Support to Human Rights Seminar | 2,172 |
| 169 | Tel Aviv | Production of Human Rights Newspaper | 40,000 |
| 170 | Tel Aviv | Human Rights Within the Community | 29,500 |
| 171 | Tibilisi | Human Rights Media Training | 24,000 |
| 172 | UKMis Geneva | Support for UN Special Representative on Human Rights in Rwanda | 68,500 |
| 173 | UKMis Geneva | World Organisation Against Torture Database | 42,500 |
| 174 | Ulaanbataar | Training for members of the Mongolian prison service | 11,100 |
| 175 | Ulaanbataar | Support for Mongolian National Centre Against Violence | 16,000 |
| 176 | Victoria | Audio/Visual Equipment for Victim Friendly Court | 8,230 |
| 177 | Vila | Assistance to Vanuatu Ombudsman | 7,500 |
| 178 | Windhoek | Walvis Bay Legal Advice Office | 6,700 |
| Total | 4,952,485 |
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