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Departmental Twinning

Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many requests there have been to his Department for placement of officials from Central, East European and CIS states as twins of his officials; how many such officials have been accepted as twins; and from which countries (a) those who were accepted and (b) those who were not accepted came. [93995]

Mr. Vaz: We are aware of the following attachments from Central, East European and CIS States to UK Government Departments this year:

Czech Republic

One official from the Ministry of the Interior's Refugee Department on a two-week work placement at Heathrow Airport. Three officials from the Environmental Inspectorate on a study visit to Heathrow, looking at protection of endangered species. Two Government human rights officials on a two-week work placement at the Commission for Racial Equality.

Estonia

The Head of the European Union Department was attached to the European Union Department (External) (EUDE) in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) from 12-23 April.

Hungary

The Head of the EU Political Relations Department was attached to the Common Foreign and Security Policy Department (CFSPD) in the FCO for one week in September.

Latvia

The Head of the EU Policy Division was attached to EUD(E) in the FCO from 7-18 June. The Acting Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Policy Planning Group will undertake a short secondment to CFSPD in the FCO in November/December.

Lithuania

One official attached to CFSPD in the FCO from 15-26 February.

Poland

One environmental official currently on a five-month secondment to the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR).

Romania

One official attached to the FCO for three days in Spring 1999.

Russia

One official from the Ministry of the Economy attached to the DETR for four weeks in April/May. Two officials attached to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for 3-4 weeks (all organised by the Civil Service College as part of the EU TACIS programme).

25 Oct 1999 : Column: 740

Slovakia

One official attached to CFSPD in the FCO for 2-3 weeks in May.

Slovenia

Two officials attached to the FCO, one from 19-23 April and one from 6-17 September. One official on a one-month fact-finding mission to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) in early summer.

We are not aware of any requests for attachments that were not accepted.

South Eastern Europe Table

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the (a) UK and (b) other representatives on the South Eastern Europe Regional Table and Working Tables on (i) democratisation and human rights, (ii) economic reconstruction and (iii) security issues; what timetable and action plans have been devised for meetings of these groups; who will be the chairs of the individual tables; and if he will make a statement. [95691]

Mr. Vaz: The UK's representatives at the first Stability Pact Working Table meetings were as follows:

(i) Democratisation and Human Rights--Our delegation was led by the Head of the Foreign Office Information Department (to present the UK's proposal for a Media Charter) with support from Eastern Adriatic Department at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. There were also delegates from the Department for International Development and our delegation to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna.

(ii) Economic Reconstruction--Our delegation was led by a representative from Economic Policy Department at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. There were also representatives from the Foreign Office Eastern Adriatic Department and from the Department for International Development.

(iii) Security Issues--Representatives from the Foreign Office's Eastern Adriatic Department and, for the Justice and Home Affairs Sub-Table, from Human Rights Policy Department within the FCO.

Attendance at Working Table meetings is flexible and appropriate experts will be called upon as necessary.

Other representatives at the three Working Tables are from Foreign Ministries and other government experts from full Participants, Facilitators and Observers to the Stability Pact.

The Work Plan for the Pact was agreed at the first Regional Table meeting on 16 September. All three Working Tables met in the first half of October. They are all due to meet again end January/early February 2000.

The Chairs of the individual Tables are:

Democracy and Human Rights--Max van der Stoel (OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities)

Economic Reconstruction--Fabrizio Saccomanni (Director General for International Affairs, Central Bank of Italy)

Security Issues--Jan Eliasson (State Secretary, Foreign Ministry of Sweden)

The United Kingdom remains committed to the Stability Pact as a force for co-operation, change and peace in the region. We look forward to concrete progress following the Working Table meetings, but impetus must come from the countries of the region.

25 Oct 1999 : Column: 741

Kosovo

Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many have been arrested in Kosovo for crimes against Serbian civilians since NATO liberated Kosovo. [94933]

Mr. Vaz: Specific figures for those arrested for crimes against Serbian civilians since NATO liberated Kosovo are not currently available from UNMIK.

I can disclose that 200 individuals are currently in prison for committing various crimes. The ethnic breakdown of those individuals is: 1 Montenegrin, 1 Macedonian, 1 Bosniac, 4 Roma, 36 Serbs and 157 Albanians.

Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent murder of a UN official in Kosovo; and if any arrests have been made over the crime. [94934]

Mr. Vaz: We wholeheartedly condemn the recent murder of UN worker Valentin Krumov. There can be no excuse or justification for such acts of violence. The death of a UN employee just starting his work to contribute to the reconstruction of Kosovo is particularly tragic.

We join our international colleagues in calling for swift action to bring those responsible to justice. The forces of law and order in Kosovo under the direction of the United Nations Interim Administration in Kosovo (UNMIK) have launched an investigation which is on-going. I can therefore give no further details at this stage.

Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what steps NATO has taken to make clear that Serbs have a settled future in Kosovo; and if steps will be taken to encourage Serbian civilians to stay there; [94936]

(2) what action is being taken by NATO in Kosovo to protect the lives of civilian Serbs. [94935]

Mr. Vaz: The NATO-led international force in Kosovo, KFOR, has from the beginning of its deployment tried to persuade Serb citizens in Kosovo to remain in the province. KFOR troops, as part of their routine duties, maintain close contact with Serb citizens in Kosovo in order to help deter any violence against them, and so encourage them to remain.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

Education Spending

Mr. Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the levels of spending on education per head of population in (a) Staffordshire and (b) each other county of England (i) in the current year and (ii) in each of the last three years. [94014]

Ms Estelle Morris: A table has been placed in the Library giving information by each county in England from 1996 onwards.

Accurate information per head of population is not available for each of the years requested. Information has, therefore, been provided on the basis of expenditure per pupil.

25 Oct 1999 : Column: 742

Key Stages 2 and 3

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many schools made representations to him in favour of revising the dates announced in June 1998 for the year 2000 statutory test dates for Key Stages 2 and 3; [94910]

(2) what date he decided to alter the dates announced in June 1998 for the year 2000 statutory tests for Key Stages 2 and 3; and on what date the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority issued Circular 040/99. [94911]

Jacqui Smith: Since the original test dates were published, a number of schools and some Local Education Authorities have made representations to the Department for Education and Employment and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in favour of revising the test dates for Key Stage 2 and 3 in 2000. David Hart, General Secretary of the National Association of Headteachers, supported the decision to move the test dates, recognising that the Government were responding positively to the genuine concerns of his members.

The decision to put back both the Key Stage 2 and 3 test dates by one week in the year 2000, was made on 14 July. Schools were notified by Circular 040/99 issued by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority on 16 July which reached schools by 20 July.

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many schools have been granted a timetable variation in respect of the year 2000 statutory test dates for (a) Key Stage 2 and (b) Key Stage 3; which alternative weeks have been offered to those schools; and how many schools have been offered which alternative weeks; [94909]

(2) how many schools have applied for a timetable variation for the year 2000 statutory test dates for (a) Key Stage 2 and (b) Key Stage 3 which were announced in circular 040/99 in July; and how many of those applications have been agreed by the Qualifications Curriculum Authority. [94912]

Jacqui Smith: This is a matter for the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member and to place a copy of his letter in the Library.

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