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Service Personnel (Employment Protection)
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has paid in employment protection to employers of members of (a) the Territorial Army, (b) the Royal Navy Reserve, (c) the Royal Auxiliary Air Force and (d) sponsored reservists mobilised in each year for which figures are available since 1989-90; and if he will make a statement. [97663]
Mr. Spellar: No payments are made to employers of members of the reserve forces for the purposes of employment protection. Under the terms of the Reserve Forces Act 1996 and the Reserve Forces (Call-out and Recall) (Financial Assistance) Regulations 1997 (SI 1997/309), employers may claim financial assistance for the loss of a member of staff who is mobilised for reserve service, and to cover any necessary retraining for that staff member on return. No financial assistance was provided to employers before 1 April 1997.
| Financial Year | Amount paid to employers (£) |
|---|---|
| 1997-98 | 11,939 |
| 1998-99 | 64,762 |
| 1999-2000 | (4)26,654 |
(4) As at end October 1999
8 Nov 1999 : Column: 408
Figures relating to employers' claims are available only for the Royal Auxiliary Air Force since June 1999. Since June 1999, payments totalling £7,158.27 have been made to employers of Royal Auxiliary Air Force reservists.
There are no Sponsored Reserves in service.
Mr. Keetch:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on Major-General Spacie's report, "Welfare in the Army"; and when he intends to make the report public. [97660]
Mr. Spellar:
As part of the development of an overarching Human Resources Strategy, the Army's approach to welfare has been subjected to a fundamental and comprehensive review. In 1998, Major-General (Retired) Spacie was commissioned to undertake a study into welfare provision across the Army. This work was completed in September 1999 and is currently being assessed. The study was commissioned to inform the Army's personnel management policies and there are currently no plans to publish the findings externally.
Mr. Keith Simpson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make an announcement about the future of RAF Neatishead, Norfolk. [97665]
Mr. Spellar:
I expect to make an announcement shortly about the outcome of consultation relating to all of the rationalisation proposals affecting the RAF stations which make up the UK Air Surveillance and Control System (ASACS). This will of course include RAF Neatishead.
Hawk Aircraft
Sir Richard Body: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Hawk aircraft have arrived in Indonesia since the 16 September common position of the European Council; how many have been halted in transit; and what discussions he has held with representatives of (a) British industry, (b) overseas posts and (c) foreign agencies on the issue of halting Hawk transfers in transit. [97575]
Mr. Battle: Three Hawk aircraft were exported from the UK on 31 August, before the adoption of the Common Position. Once the aircraft left UK shores, we had no power to prevent delivery of these aircraft. No further Hawks have been exported from the UK while the embargo has been in place since 16 September.
Departmental Staff (Working Week)
Sir Richard Body: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the average length of the working week in hours, broken down by grade, of staff in his Department (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) overseas. [97532]
Mr. Hain:
The information requested by the hon. Member is not available. The conditioned hours of the Department's staff in the United Kingdom and overseas are 41 or 42 hours per week. However staff posted overseas have a 24 hour on-call liability.
8 Nov 1999 : Column: 409
Mr. Gapes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had concerning the implications for future British involvement in peacekeeping operations of ratification of the International Criminal Court. [97516]
Mr. Hain:
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Ministry of Defence and the Home Office have worked closely together throughout the negotiations on the establishment of the International Criminal Court. The Government believe ratification of the Rome Statute will have no implications for future British involvement in peacekeeping operations.
Mr. Sarwar:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress in the Middle East peace process. [97580]
Mr. Hain:
The Sharm el-Sheikh agreement has created a real prospect of peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. The parties are committed to making a determined effort to conclude a Framework Agreement on Permanent Status issues by February, and to reaching a Permanent Status Agreement by September. We are confident that the permanent status negotiations, which have been formally resumed, will deliver substantive results.
Implementation of the Sharm el-Sheikh commitments is proceeding, albeit with some short delays. A southern safe passage between Gaza and the West Bank was opened during my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's recent visit.
We do not underestimate the difficulties faced by both sides. Real vision will be needed to deliver a peace settlement which offers lasting security for Israel, and a real prospect of hope and prosperity for Palestinians.
Peace between Israel, Syria and Lebanon is an essential component of a comprehensive peace in the Middle East. We remain hopeful of a resumption of negotiations on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks.
We stand ready to help in any way we can in the pursuit of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.
Mr. Nicholas Winterton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to extend full British citizenship to cover the population of St. Helena; and if he will make a statement. [97466]
Mr. Battle:
The White Paper on Overseas Territories, published in March this year, sets out the Government's offer of British citizenship to those citizens of the Overseas Territories, including those of St. Helena, who do not already enjoy it and who meet certain conditions. This will require primary legislation. The issues are complex and the Government are working on the preparation of the necessary legislation.
8 Nov 1999 : Column: 410
Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what initiatives Her Majesty's Government are taking to assist the civil prison service in Kosovo; and if he will make a statement. [97404]
Mr. Vaz:
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Department for International Development (DfID) arranged for a visit to Kosovo for Her Majesty's Prison Service experts in August to consider what assistance we could provide for prison administration. DfID is providing $1 million in repair assistance and has made available the DfID Emergency Engineering Unit to the United Nations and to the NATO-led international force in Kosovo (KFOR) to help repair prison facilities before winter sets in.
Two British prisons experts also went to Kosovo at the start of October for a two month visit to provide technical advice to the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) on the transfer of responsibility for prisons from KFOR to UNMIK, and the re-opening of prison facilities. DfID are also funding the secondment of four prison technical monitors to supervise local staff until February 2000.
Mrs. Mahon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many houses of the minorities have been burnt in Kosovo since the KFOR occupation. [96101]
Mr. Vaz:
Between KFOR's arrival in Kosovo on 12 June 1999 and mid-October there have been 1,157 reported cases of arson. Figures disaggregated by ethnic group or property type are not available.
Mr. Maples:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people accompanied the Chinese President on his state visit, (a) arriving with him and (b) in advance; into which categories these people fell; and how many of them were known to his Department to be from the Chinese police or other security services. [97756]
Mr. Battle:
The Chinese President was accompanied by 140 people froM China: 14 members of his official suite, 70 staff, 29 media correspondents and a plane crew of 27, all of whom arrived with the President. Thirty-five people had security responsibilities.
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