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EU Working Groups
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to her predecessor's answer of 27 July
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1999, Official Report, columns 155-56, concerning EU working groups, for what reasons he did not make a statement at that stage. [95418]
Marjorie Mowlam:
I refer the hon. Member to the Answer given by my hon. Friend the then Parliamentary Secretary on 27 July 1999, Official Report, columns 155-56. My right hon. Friend the then Minister for the Cabinet Office did not make a separate statement as this Answer contained all the relevant information.
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the Property Advisers to the Civil Estate have (a) paid and (b) been contracted to pay to (i) S. J. Berwin and (ii) DTZ Debenham Thorpe since 2 May 1997. [94901]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
Responsibility for this matter has been delegated under the terms of the Framework Document to the Property Advisers to the Civil Estate. I have asked its Chief Executive, Mr. John Locke, to write to the hon. Member and I will ensure a copy of the letter is placed in the Libraries of the House.
Letter from John C. Locke to Mr. David Lidington, dated October 1999:
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will list the members of the Board of the Property Advisers to the Civil Service and the annual remuneration each board member receives. [94902]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
The current members of the management board of Property Advisers to the Civil Estate (PACE) their salary and accrued pension (in £5,000 bands) and pensions increase for the last complete year (in £2,500 bands), is set out in the table:
The Minister of State, Cabinet Office has asked me, as Chief Executive of the Property Advisers to the Civil Estate to respond to your question about the level of the Agency's payments to S J Berwin and DTZ Debenham Thorpe since May 1997.
PACE do not, and never have, employed S J Berwin in any capacity, therefore the question of payment does not arise.
DTZ Debenham Thorpe have held a Management Commission with PACE since 1997 and have also received a number of smaller Commissions since that time. PACE has paid DTZ a total of £3,215,036.00 since May 1997. Work is normally ordered on a call-off basis and as a consequence there are no significant payments contracted in future, other than the current work in progress, which amounts to approximately £50k.
| £000 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Salary (including performance pay) | Total accrued pension at 60 at 31 March 1999 | Pension increase (net of inflation) | |
| Chief Executive | |||
| Mr. John Locke | (8)75-80 | 5-10 | 0-2.5 |
| Directors | |||
| Mr. Barry Redfern | 55-60 | 10-15 | 0-2.5 |
| Mr. Arnold Butler | 55-60 | 10-15 | 0-2.5 |
| Mr. John Hathaway | 55-60 | 15-20 | 0-2.5 |
| Mr. Jay Jayasundara | 45-50 | 5-10 | 0-2.5 |
(8) The Chief Executive's salary shown does not include performance-related pay. He is entitled to an annual performance bonus of up to
10 per cent. of basic salary, but the bonus payable in the current year has yet to be determined.
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Further information on PACE's activities and its performance during the last financial year will be provided in PACE's Annual Report and Account 1998-99, which is due to be published shortly. Copies will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Equal Opportunities
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps she has taken to promote policy appraisal for equal treatment; if she will promulgate a checklist for strategic policy making; and if she will place a copy of the checklist in the Library. [95371]
Marjorie Mowlam: Guidelines on policy appraisal for equal treatment were published jointly by the Home Office, Department for Education and Employment and the Women's Unit in the Cabinet Office in November 1998. These were circulated to all departments to ensure that the effects of any policy changes on all groups within society are considered at the earliest stage of policy development.
On 2 August 1999 the Cabinet Office Regulatory Impact Unit launched an IT-based checklist for policy makers on the Cabinet Office website. Among other things the checklist provides up to date information and advice in taking account of a range of issues including gender, ethnicity, disability and age in advice to Ministers. It also provides advice and contact points on statutory requirements, for example the Human Rights Act, good practice in consultation and other impact assessment tools like regulatory impact assessment. Policy makers are advised to use the checklist at the beginning of the policy formulation process, as part of their on-going work and in evaluation.
The checklist is IT-based to help ensure that it is kept up to date and is accessible to a wide range of users. It is available on the Cabinet Office website at http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/regulation/1999/checklist/ intro.htm
A copy of the checklist is available from the Libraries of the House.
Mrs. Ann Cryer:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans she has to review the Government Car and Despatch Agency. [96390]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
The first review of the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) is due to be completed by the end of March 2000. I have decided that the Cabinet Office should now begin work on this review.
The review will consider the options for the future delivery of the Government Car and Inter Despatch mail services, taking account of the lessons of the Agency's past performance. The options are: continued agency status, contracting out, market testing, merger with another organisation, privatisation and abolition. Each option will be considered on its merits, and the preferred option will be the one that offers best value for money, taking into account the interests of the customers and staff of the Agency, and security issues.
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Implementation of the review's recommendations and revision of the Framework Document (if appropriate) will follow.
Anyone who wishes to contribute to the review of GCDA should contact David Smith at the Cabinet Office Agencies Unit, Room 206, Ashley House, 2 Monck Street, London SW1P 2BQ (Tel: 020-7-276-2758/ Fax: 020-7-276- 2739/ e-mail: dsmith@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk) by 31 January 2000.
Jackie Ballard:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if an action plan for increasing the representation of women in public life has been (a) prepared by his Department and (b) published since November 1998. [94850]
Mr. Battle:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 25 October 1999, Official Report, column 682.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received concerning staff hours in connection with the Working Time Directive. [95402]
Mr. Battle:
Ministers have regular meetings with staff representatives. Working hours have been discussed at such meetings. The staff of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are committed to advancing British interests overseas. The outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review is enabling the Department for the first time in years to recruit the staff it needs to meet its objectives, and to fill the gaps which have been a major cause of long hours.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on measures taken to prevent the arrival in Indonesia of Hawk aircraft in line with the common position of the European Council of 16 September. [95249]
Mr. Battle:
Following the adoption of the common position of the European Council of 16 September which imposed an immediate arms embargo and suspension of military cooperation with Indonesia, no Hawk aircraft have been exported from the UK. None will be exported while the embargo is in place.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with (a) the Indonesian Government and (b) the UN regarding the return of East Timorese people held in camps in West Timor. [95241]
Mr. Battle:
We are deeply anxious at the plight of the many thousands of East Timorese refugees in West Timor and elsewhere in Indonesia. Those wishing to return should be free to do so at the earliest opportunity. We have made it clear to the Indonesian Government that we
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expect them to ensure the safety and security of the refugees. I raised this with former President Habibie on 8 September. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised this with the then Indonesian Foreign Minister Alatas in New York on 22 September. And my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister wrote to the then President Habibie to reinforce our concerns. We welcome the news that several hundred returnees per day are being repatriated from West to East Timor by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). But there is an urgency to get the refugees moving in much larger numbers. To this end, we are providing financial support and working closely with UNHCR who have established an office in West Timor. We continue to assist the United Nations with this urgent task.
Rev. Martin Smyth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation in East Timor. [95432]
Mr. Battle:
We welcomed Indonesia's decision on 20 October to reverse its claim on East Timor and look forward to welcoming East Timor as the newest member of the community of democratic nations. In the meantime we remain deeply anxious at the plight of the many thousands of East Timorese refugees in West Timor and elsewhere in Indonesia. We have made it clear to the Indonesian Government that we expect them to ensure the safety and security of the refugees. I raised this with the then President Habibie on 8 September. Over 18,000 East Timorese have so far been repatriated by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), but there is an urgency to get the refugees moving in much larger numbers. To this end, we are providing financial support and working closely with UNHCR who have established an office in West Timor. We have also fully supported international efforts to ensure that those guilty of human rights abuses in East Timor are brought to justice. We co-sponsored the resolution adopted on 27 September at the Special Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights which called for an International Commission of Enquiry to be set up. The Commission is to provide the UN with its conclusions by 31 December.
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