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Fair Trade Products
Ms Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to introduce fair trade products at (a) meetings, (b) events and (c) catering facilities within his Department. [82868]
Mr. Robin Cook: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, on 5 May 1999, Official Report, column 410.
"Britain, Creativity, Innovation and Quality"
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total cost of developing the design guidelines for implementing the proposal for a new identity for Britain, as finalised in the booklet, "Britain, Creativity, Innovation and Quality"; how many booklets were printed; for what audience; and for what purpose. [83747]
Mr. Robin Cook: The total cost of developing the design guidelines for "Britain, Creativity, Innovation and Quality" was £13,506.
10,000 copies of this A4 four page leaflet were produced.
Copies were distributed to all Press and Public Affairs Officers at FCO Posts, The British Council and Information Departments within Whitehall Departments.
The identity and guidelines were intended to augment existing identities to provide an increased level of consistent presentation.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of non- residence visa applications (a) in 1997 were and (b) currently are, decided within 24 hours; and what extra finances are being directed to meet the relevant key departmental performance target. [83735]
11 May 1999 : Column: 118
Mr. Robin Cook:
92 per cent. of non-residence visa applications were "processed" 1 within 24 hours in 1997 against a target of 94 per cent.
In April 1998, we changed the bases for calculating performance against this objective, to record the number of applications "decided" 2 within 24 hours.
Under the new system, 86 per cent. of straightforward non-residence visa applications made in person during the period April-December 1998 were decided within 24 hours (target 87 per cent.) The figure for January to March 1999 was 90 per cent 3 .
No additional resources have been deployed specifically to meet this target, but the performance of visa sections overseas is kept under regular review to ensure so far as possible that performance targets are met.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the pay grade of the Minority Ethnic Liaison Officer; and what are his duties. [83730]
Mr. Robin Cook:
The Minority Ethnic Liaison Officer works on a part-time, fixed-term contract as a member of the Department's Senior Management Structure. His main objective is to help the Department to develop and implement a strategy aimed at creating an environment within, and an image of, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office which is more attractive to minority ethnic communities and supportive of minority ethnic staff.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the (a) remit, (b) cost and (c) activity of the working group of young officials to monitor implementation of his Department's modernisation programme; how many times
11 May 1999 : Column: 119
it has met; what documents and recommendations it has produced; and what actions have, as a result, been taken by him. [83731]
Mr. Robin Cook:
The Modernisation Group has been tasked with exploring how the FCO could work better, and how it could become a better place to work.
Its costs are minimal. The group does not have a budget.
It has thirty members, five working groups on different subjects, and a mailing list of over a hundred from across the network of posts. It meets at least once every two weeks. I keep in close touch with its work. It has so far produced recommendations on encouraging creativity and on improving personnel management. Implementation of its ideas is already being taken forward. It will soon be sending me a further set of ideas.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of his Department (a) in 1997 were and (b) currently are made up of (i) minority ethnic groups and (ii) disabled people; and what extra funds are being directed to reach the related key performance target. [83733]
Expenditure in support of the Department's aim of creating a more diverse workforce has been mainstreamed. It is not, therefore, possible to identify what extra funds are being directed to achieving that aim.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what expenditure has been made on reaching the Key Departmental performance target of upgrading obsolete information technology; to which systems the target refers; and how many units were affected. [83732]
Mr. Robin Cook:
Expenditure of £44 million has been incurred on equipment, software and external installation costs to the end of March 1999 on a radical programme to replace obsolete IT and provide a new "Windows" based office automation system and accompanying applications. The system has so far been provided to 5,194 users, including initial installations in the FCO at home.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if (a) GCHQ are promoting the wider use of the encryption services by offering specialised IT security courses, (b) personal data are required to be processed with respect to that promotion and (c) he will make a statement on his Department's application of the provisions of the Data Protection Acts to such processing. [83792]
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Mr. Robin Cook:
GCHQ's Communications- Electronics Security Group (CESG) offer IT security courses which are designed to match the stated training and awareness needs of government departments and other customers. CESG is the government expert on cryptography and can be approached by official departments should advice be needed.
CESG is a technical authority and its courses make no specific recommendations about personal data as such. The actual type and degree of protection to be afforded to personal data, along with all forms of data handled by the government, is determined by relevant legislation and Cabinet Office guidance. CESG is currently working with CITU and other departments to provide design consultancy and design services that can help protect personal data in the context of modernising government.
It is current policy that any personal data held or processed by the intelligence agencies, in accordance with their respective functions set out in the Intelligence Services Act 1994, are exempt from the relevant provisions of the Data Protection Act 1984 in order to safeguard national security.
Mr. Trend:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment Her Majesty's Government have made, following the decision of the US Justice and Treasury departments to unfreeze the assets of Mr. Suleh Idris, of whether Mr. Idris's Al Shifa plant in Khartoum was involved in chemical weapons production. [83728]
Mr. Robin Cook:
As the Prime Minister has said on many occasions, the US told us at the time of the strike on Al Shifa that they had compelling evidence that the plant was being used for the production of chemical weapons materials.
Her Majesty's Government have not taken any action against Mr. Idris, nor has it made any allegations against him. The US decision is a matter for the US authorities.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) male and (b) female UK citizens were being held in overseas prisons on 1 April 1999; and if he will list the countries in which these are being held. [83585]
Mr. Robin Cook:
There were 1,805 male and 172 female UK citizens being held in overseas prisons on 1 April 1999 registered in consular records. A list of countries in which these citizens are being held follows.
1 "processed" means issued, refused, referred or deferred
2 "decided" means visas/passports ready for collection
3 based on monthly reporting from the largest 100 posts.
(a) As at 1 April 1997:
(i) 3.4 per cent. of FCO staff were from minority ethnic groups
(ii) 2.0 per cent. of FCO staff were disabled.
(b) As at 1 January 1999:
(i) 3.9 per cent. of FCO staff were from minority ethnic groups
(ii) 2.6 per cent. of FCO staff were disabled.
11 May 1999 : Column: 122
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