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CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Millennium Celebrations (Promotion)

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department took to promote Britain's millennium celebrations at the European Incentive and Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition in Geneva. [85297]

Janet Anderson [holding answer 24 May 1999]: As the name indicates, this particular Exhibition in Geneva was primarily concerned with business incentives and business travel. The British Tourist Authority, which is funded by my Department, was present at the exhibition and promoted the millennium celebrations primarily through their "VisitBritain" internet site which was live on the stand with open access for anyone wishing to explore it. In addition, pictures of the Millennium Dome and other millennium projects, such as the Eden Project, were integrated into the overall design of the stand.

Ministerial Hospitality

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he authorised the Minister for Tourism, Film and Broadcasting to accept night club tickets and hospitality arranged by Sony Entertainment and the British Phonographic Industry Ltd.; and what account he took of the Ministerial Code in doing so. [86655]

Janet Anderson: There is no requirement for Ministers to seek the advice of their Secretary of State on the acceptance of gifts or hospitality. The DCMS has a clear policy on hospitality, in line with the Ministerial Code, and all Ministers and officials are expected to abide by it.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total monetary value was of the (a) night club tickets arranged for the Minister for Tourism, Film and Broadcasting by Sony Entertainment and the British Phonographic Industry Ltd. and (b) hospitality received. [86656]

Janet Anderson: There is no charge for entry for guests of members of the Met Bar, Brown's or the Mayfair Club, and, therefore, no monetary value attached to the entry obtained. No other hospitality was received.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Jurors

Jane Griffiths: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what exemptions from jury service are available to jurors with unavoidable child care responsibilities. [86198]

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Mr. Vaz: If someone applies for excusal from jury service on the grounds of the need to care for young children, the guidance to court staff states that their application should be dealt with sympathetically. Each application is considered by the jury-summoning officer, based on the information provided by the applicant.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

MOX Shipment (Japan)

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington (Mr. Brake), of 18 May 1999, Official Report, column 861, on MOX shipments to Japan, by what means the plutonium in MOX fuel is destroyed in nuclear reactors; and if he will list the evidence on which he based his reply. [85825]

Mr. Hoon: Typically, MOX fuel contains between 50 and 70 kilograms of plutonium for each tonne of fuel entering the reactor. It is estimated that after four years of generating electricity, the amount of plutonium remaining in the fuel would have been reduced by about 18 kilograms in each tonne. This underpins the view that the use of MOX fuel reduces proliferation risks by gradually reducing plutonium stockpiles.

This is supported by an OECD (Nuclear Energy Agency) study ("Management of Separated Plutonium: The Technical Options", OECD, Paris 1997) which has indicated that if MOX fuel is burnt at reasonable levels, the world's stockpile of plutonium can be held steady and then gradually reduced during the first decade of the next century.

Entry Clearance Applications

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how long, on average, it took between refusal of settlement entry clearance at (a) New Delhi, (b) Bombay, (c) Islamabad, (d) Karachi, (e) Lagos, (f) Accra and (g) Moscow and the dispatch of the explanatory statement to the UK for statements dispatched in (i) September 1998, (ii) December 1998 and (iii) March 1999; and if he will estimate how long it will take for explanatory statements to be dispatched for refusals made in (A) December 1998, (B) March 1999, (C) April 1999 and (D) May 1999. [86101]

Mr. Hoon: Information in the form requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Explanatory statements are not prepared until a Notice of Appeal against the entry clearance decision is received. The time limit for this is three months from the date of refusal. In 1998, 81 per cent. of settlement refusals worldwide resulted in an appeal.

In 1990 guidelines were introduced requiring Entry Clearance Officers to produce and submit explanatory statements to the appropriate authorities in the UK within three months of receipt of the notice of appeal.

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The following table shows the percentage of explanatory statements submitted within three months at the posts named, during 1998:

	Percentage
New Delhi	85
Bombay	98
Islamabad	74
Karachi	91
Lagos	92
Accra	50
Moscow	100

Kashmir

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Pakistan and Indian Governments about Kashmir; and if he will make a statement. [86063]

Mr. Hoon: We are deeply concerned by infiltration of militants into Jammu and Kashmir, and fighting between them and the Indian Security Forces. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary recently discussed the situation in Kashmir with his Pakistani and Indian counterparts. We continue to urge both countries to work together to resolve the issues between them, including Kashmir, through bilateral dialogue.

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received following recent hostilities on the line of control in Kashmir. [86062]

Mr. Hoon: We are aware of the concern of many people in the UK regarding the current situation in Kashmir. We have made clear to Indian and Pakistani governments our hope that they can work together to resolve the issues between them, including Kashmir, through bilateral dialogue.

Angola

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the Angolan Government regarding (a) the activities of UNITA in that country and (b) the international supply of arms to UNITA; and if he will make a statement. [86061]

Mr. Tony Lloyd: We are in regular contact with the Angolan authorities both in London and in Luanda. Indeed I most recently discussed these issues with Dr. Miranda, the Angolan Foreign Minister, on 23 February when I was in Luanda. We deeply regret the renewal of the conflict for which we hold Dr. Jonas Savimbis' UNITA responsible. We fully support the tightening of United Nations sanctions on the sale of diamonds, on oil supplies and arms for UNITA. We welcome the establishment by the United Nations Secretary-General of expert groups to study the issue. We look forward to learning the results of the visit to the region by Ambassador Fowler, the Chairman of the UN Angolan Sanctions Committee. We shall then discuss with the Angolan authorities, our EU partners and all those members of the international community interested in finding a peaceful solution to the conflict in Angola how best to implement his findings.

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INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Tobacco

Jackie Ballard: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on tobacco consumption in the developing world. [86213]

Clare Short: I view with great concern the estimate by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that, if current trends continue, tobacco will be the leading cause of disease burden in the world by 2030, causing about one in eight deaths, and that 70 per cent. of tobacco-related deaths will be in developing countries. I strongly support the priority being given to tobacco control by WHO through its "Tobacco Free" initiative, and the efforts to establish an international framework convention for tobacco control which, in particular, will aim to protect children and adolescents from exposure to tobacco products and their promotion. We are contributing £200,000 this financial year to the "Tobacco Free initiative".

DEFENCE

Turkey

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the value of defence products exported to Turkey during 1998. [86204]

Mr. Spellar: Information on defence exports will be included in the Government's Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls for 1998, which will be published in due course.

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