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Tampere Presidency
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Prime Minister what additional co-operation, under paragraph 11 of the Tampere Presidency Conclusions, is intended with respect to (a) combating poverty, (b) preventing conflicts and (c) ensuring rights for women and children; what Treaty base will apply; what budget sums will be involved; and what budget line will be their source. [96576]
The Prime Minister: These issues are covered under paragraph 11 in Section AI of the Tampere Presidency Conclusions. The intention is that these issues should be pursued as part of the future work of the High Level Working Group on Asylum and Migration, whose mandate was extended by the Special European Council at Tampere.
Appropriate Treaty bases and budgetary issues will be considered as implementation of the Action Plans progresses.
It is unlikely that implementation could be undertaken within existing resources and the UK will give careful consideration to the financial implications of any specific measures which emerge.
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Mrs. Virginia Bottomley:
To ask the Prime Minister when the name of his new Secretary for Appointments will be announced; what process was used to recruit and select the new secretary; who is the head of the department to which the secretary is responsible; and what is his job specification. [96658]
The Prime Minister:
The name of my new Secretary for Appointments was announced on 11 October. He is William Chapman, a career civil servant on secondment from the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. The selection process, including an interdepartmental trawl, was based on normal Civil Service appointment practices. My Principal Private Secretary has line management responsibility for this post. The Secretary for Appointments advises me on a wide range of Crown Appointments and on a number of appointments which I make in my own right; he also offers advice on related policy matters and undertakes duties in relation to the honours system. The Appointments Secretary also acts as Ecclesiastical Secretary to the Lord Chancellor, with overall responsibility for advising on the appointments to certain cathedral canonries and parishes.
Mr. Cash:
To ask the Prime Minister what opinion research the Government have commissioned on attitudes to (a) Economic and Monetary Union and (b) the European Union, indicating the polling organisations used in each case. [96844]
The Prime Minister:
The Government commissioned a survey on attitudes to Europe, which included questions on EMU, in November 1997. The contract was won by GGC/NOP following a tender process. A copy of the results was placed in the Libraries of the House in April 1998.
Mr. Cash:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the pending Government contracts with French firms. [96843]
The Prime Minister:
It is established practice under section 7(a) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information not to disclose information whose disclosure would prejudice commercial or contractural activities.
Mr. Woodward:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to hold referendums on the introduction of elected regional government in England. [95978]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
We have made clear that, in time, we will allow the people to decide whether they want directly elected regional government in England, but we have not yet set a timetable for holding referendums.
1 Nov 1999 : Column: 6
Mr. Woodward:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what have been the set-up costs to date of the regional chambers; and from what sources they have been met. [95977]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
The set-up costs of the voluntary regional chambers are a matter for their members. The Government have provided some support in-kind. In the East Midlands, a member of the Government Office staff was seconded to assist with start up arrangements and in the South East the Government Office has provided office space to the chamber.
Mr. Woodward:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many regional chambers have been recognised as such under the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998. [95979]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
We have designated regional chambers under the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998 in all eight English regions outside London (where separate arrangements will apply).
Mr. Woodward:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list, by English region (i) the number of full-time equivalent staff employed and (ii) the annual budget for the current year and next year, for each (a) Government office, (b) regional development agency, (c) regional chamber, as designated under the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998 and (d) local government-based regional body which is not a Government office, regional development agency or designated regional chamber. [96006]
Ms Beverley Hughes
[holding answer 29 October 1999]: (a) Full-time equivalent staff in each Government Office, as at 1 October 1999, along with the running costs budgets (in £000s) for the current financial year, are in the table. The budgets have not yet been agreed for next year. The Government Offices' Central Unit's budget is included as some funds are held centrally.
| Government office | Staff | Running costs for 1999-2000 |
|---|---|---|
| GO-NE | 227 | 8,219.57 |
| GO-NW | 348 | 12,753.60 |
| GO-YH | 230 | 8,632.55 |
| GO-WM | 219 | 9,110.85 |
| GO-EM | 203 | 6,855.04 |
| GO-E | 156 | 6,662.32 |
| GO-SE | 281 | 8,425.80 |
| GO-SW | 198 | 7,611.84 |
| GO-L | 336 | 13,665.43 |
| Sub total | 2,198 | 81,937.00 |
| GO-CU | 25 | 3,756.58 |
| Total | 2,223 | 85,693.58 |
(1) Total staff, not full-time equivalents. No separate figure for part-time staff available.
1 Nov 1999 : Column: 7
(c) The budgets and staffing of the voluntary regional chambers are a matter for their members. Details are not held centrally.
(d) I have placed in the Library details provided by the English Regional Associations of the resources deployed by the constituent authorities of the regional planning bodies. The budgets and staffing of local government-based regional bodies are a matter for the members of such bodies.
Mr. Alan Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many people are currently employed by One North East; and what have been its administration costs since its establishment. [96733]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
The number of staff currently employed by One North East is 238 which in the main reflects the number employed by the partner organisations from which it was formed. For 1999-2000, the net indicative allocation for administration costs is £9,711,000 which will be fully utilised.
Mr. Woodward:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the Urban White Paper will be published at the same time as the Rural White Paper. [95981]
Mr. Prescott:
There are important links to be drawn between the Urban and Rural White Papers, and work on the two White papers is proceeding in tandem. No decision has yet been taken on the timing of publication.
Mr. Baldry:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many houses he estimates will need to be built in Oxfordshire by 2016. [96561]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
Requirements for future house building in Oxfordshire are currently under review as part of the preparation of Regional Planning Guidance for the South East. This guidance will set out housing requirements by county, including Oxfordshire, for the years 1996 to 2016. An independent Panel examined draft proposals prepared by local authorities at a Public Examination over the summer. The report setting out the conclusions of this panel has recently been received by the Secretary of State who will examine its recommendations very closely. It is anticipated that a draft
1 Nov 1999 : Column: 8
version of regional planning guidance following on from this exercise will be published early in the new year, and a period of consultation on the proposals will allow interested parties to respond before full guidance is issued by the Secretary of State later in the year.
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