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Monetary Policy Committee
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the present terms of employment of members of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England. [110060]
Miss Melanie Johnson:
The terms of employment of members of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England are set out in the Bank of England Act 1998. Additional details may be found in the Bank of England's latest Annual Report, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
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Disqualifications Bill
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Prime Minister what (a) oral and (b) written representations he has received from (i) hon. Members of and (ii) parties represented in the House of Commons and the Northern Ireland Assembly on the subject of the Disqualifications Bill, indicating in each case the date on which representations were received; and if he will place written representations in the Library. [107854]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 1 February 2000]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 10 February 2000 by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Official Report, column 240W.
Austria (Bilateral Meetings)
Mr. Jim Murphy: To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions he and his predecessor held bilateral meetings with his Austrian counterpart in each of the last five years; and what was discussed at each meeting since May 1997. [109870]
The Prime Minister: From taking office in May 1997 until December 1999, I have had three bilateral meetings with my Austrian counterpart, Chancellor Klima. We have also seen each other at many multilateral meetings. We have discussed a wide range of issues, mostly on EU related business.
Steven John Hayden
Mr. Hague: To ask the Prime Minister if he has received the report of the Security Commission on the case of Steven John Hayden. [111061]
The Prime Minister: I announced on 30 April 1999 that, after consultation with the Chairman of the Security Commission and the right hon. Gentleman, I had asked the Security Commission to investigate the circumstances in which breaches of security had or might have occurred arising out of the case of Chief Petty Officer Steven Hayden, who was convicted on 23 October 1998 of offences under section 1 of the Official Secrets Act 1989; and to advise in the light of that investigation whether any change in security arrangements was necessary or desirable.
The Commission has now submitted its report to me and it is being published this afternoon as a Command paper, with the exception of some details which it would not be in the public interest to publish on national security grounds. I am most grateful to the Chairman, Lord Lloyd, and to Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, Sir John Foley and Sir Clive Whitmore.
It became apparent to the Commission at the start of the inquiry that the main issues at stake were in the area of personnel security. The Commission has fully examined the history of the Ministry of Defence's security assessment of Hayden. The Commission was critical of the decisions to continue to allow Hayden a security clearance and surprised at the lack of communication between the vetting authorities, the personnel authorities and line management about the management of the risk presented by him. In particular they considered whether
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the correct balance was being struck between maintaining vetting confidentiality on the one hand and the effective involvement of line and personnel management in the active aftercare of vetting risk cases on the other.
It was also concerned that recommendations made in earlier Security Commission inquiries had sought to address similar situations to those in the Hayden case which suggested that they had not been fully implemented.
However, the Commission acknowledges the Ministry of Defence's acceptance that Hayden's case represents a clear failure in personnel security and welcomes the changes to vetting processes and procedures that the Ministry of Defence have already implemented based on the lessons learned. The Commission has made a number of recommendations. These, in summary, are that:
The recommendations of the Security Commission have been accepted in principle by the Government subject to further consideration of some detailed points and in the case of (iii), subject to discussion with the appropriate medical authorities. Work is now in hand to ensure that they are effectively implemented.
Mr. Yeo:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will list those people who were invited to the Countryside reception at 10 Downing Street on 2 February. [110503]
The Prime Minister:
It is not my practice to list individual names of guests invited to receptions at 10 Downing Street. The 200 people who were invited to the Countryside reception on 2 February came from a wide range of backgrounds, including the health service, schools, farming, forestry, rural businesses, rural post offices, youth hostels, churches, holiday villages and tourism.
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Mr. Wigley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he is taking to ensure adequate finance from the Treasury on a contingency basis, to cover the eventuality that expenditure on Objective 1 schemes in Wales in the year 2000-01 exceeds the sums covered in the budget of the National Assembly, while still being within the limit laid down by the EU for that year. [109105]
Mr. Paul Murphy:
The provisions for seeking additional finance from Treasury on an exceptional basis are detailed in "A Statement of Funding Policy", which was published by HM Treasury on 31 March 1999.
Mr. Wigley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his reply of 27 January 2000, Official Report, column 327W, on departmental budgets, how much of the increase in the total budget for his Department and the National Assembly between the expected outturn for 1999-2000 and the budget for 2000-01 is for the effects of inflation. [109094]
Mr. Paul Murphy:
During Spending Reviews, forecasts for inflation are reflected in the settlement, but form only one component of that settlement.
Changes to the size of the Welsh block are mainly determined by applying the population-based Barnett formula to changes in planned spending on comparable services in Departments of the United Kingdom Government, with some exceptions where this is not appropriate.
As a result it is not possible to identify an element of the increase to the block which is solely an allowance for the effects of inflation.
Charlotte Atkins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when the Waterhouse report into abuse in North Wales Children's homes will be published. [110214]
Mr. Hanson:
The report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into the abuse of children in care in North Wales was published on Tuesday 15 February. Copies of the report have been placed in the Vote Office and Libraries of the House.
Mr. Streeter:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many arms export licence applications relating to Zimbabwe examined by her Department her Department has (a) supported and (b) opposed since May 1997. [109106]
Clare Short:
From 1 September 1997 until 28 January 2000, we have received 69 applications for a Standard Individual Export Licence and 51 applications for an Open Individual Export Licence. These licences cover the export to Zimbabwe of goods subject to control by being listed in Part III of Schedule I to the Export of Goods
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(Control) Order 1994, commonly known as the Military List. Applications were not circulated to the Department for International Development before 1 September 1997.
Regarding advice given by this Department on individual licence applications, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the Secretary of State for International Development on 26 April 1999, Official Report, column 18W.
Mr. Streeter:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many licence applications for arms exports to Indonesia her Department has examined since August 1997; if she will list them; and how many her Department (a) supported and (b) opposed. [109174]
Mr. Foulkes:
From 1 September 1997 until 28 January 2000, we have received 78 applications for a Standard Individual Export Licence and 70 applications for an Open Individual Export Licence. These licences cover the export to Indonesia of goods subject to control by being listed in Part III of Schedule I to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994. This is commonly known as the Military List. Applications were not circulated to the Department for International Development before September 1997.
Regarding advice given by this Department on individual licence applications, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the Secretary of State for International Development on 26 April 1999, Official Report, column 18W.
Mr. Streeter:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many licence applications her Department has examined for arms exports to Pakistan since May 1997; if she will list them; and how many her Department (a) supported and (b) opposed. [109104]
Mr. Foulkes:
From 1 September 1997 until 28 January 2000, we have received 208 applications for a Standard Individual Export Licence and 80 for an Open Individual Export Licence. These licences cover the export to Pakistan of goods subject to control by being listed in Part III of Schedule I to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, commonly known as the Military List. Applications were not circulated to the Department for International Development before 1 September 1997.
(i) It should be standard practice for vetting authorities to consider whether to consult an individual's personnel or line managers, in order to ensure that the latter are aware of any particular vulnerabilities.
(ii) In cases where doubts emerge, it should be normal practice for regular consultations to take place between all those involved in assessing a clearance. Where the recommendations of Investigating Officers seem likely to be overridden for wider policy considerations of a non-security kind, there should invariably be a discussion between them and those responsible for making the assessment, so that options can be explored before final decisions are reached.
(iii) In risk cases where confidential medical reports exist on an individual, someone at an appropriately senior level should have the authority to see all the papers including a medical report on the individual's suitability to hold a DV clearance and thus be in a position to reach a proper assessment based on all relevant information.
(iv) More emphasis should be given to threats outside the traditional risk of an individual being vulnerable to approaches from a hostile foreign intelligence service. Threats from "cheque-book journalism" and industrial espionage should be given more emphasis in the current Field Investigation Officers Guide issued by the Cabinet Office, and in departmental guidance based upon it.
(v) The question of follow-up to Security Commission recommendations should be revisited to ensure that effective implementation of agreed recommendations takes place.
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