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Peat Compost

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 28 February 2000, Official Report, column 19W, on peat compost, (a) what percentage of and (b) how much compost used in his Department's estate gardens is peat; when peat compost will be phased out by his Department's estates; and if he will make a statement. [113346]

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Mr. Morley: Records are not kept centrally detailing the amount of peat (if any) and peat substitutes that are used on the Ministry's gardens. To find this information would be time consuming and expensive because many contractors, subcontractors and suppliers would have to be approached for their records. Having said that, the Ministry does not have a large acreage of gardens; rather, we have smaller areas of landscaping and flower-beds around buildings.

As I said in my answer of 28 February, since 1993, the Ministry has had a policy that environmentally acceptable alternatives should be substituted for peat. We will, though, be issuing reminders shortly in line with our Greening Operations Strategy which was revised and reissued in June 1999.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Falkland Islands

Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the Government have had with the new Argentine administration about the Falkland Islands. [113340]

Mr. Battle: We have established a good working relationship with the new Argentine Government. The Prime Minister has met President De la Rua twice. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has met Rodriguez Giavarini. I attended the Argentine Presidential inauguration and the Secretary of State for Defence has met the Argentine President and Defence Minister.

On these and other occasions both sides have reaffirmed their commitment to the Joint Statement of July 1999 and to continue our dialogue on issues of common interest.

This does not affect our sovereignty over the Falkland Islands or our commitment to the Islanders' right to determine their own future.

Sri Lanka

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka last visited (a) the northern area of Sri Lanka and (b) Jaffna; and what reports he has made of his visit. [113429]

Mr. Hain: The British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Ms Linda Duffield, last visited the north of Sri Lanka from 17-20 January when she visited Vavuniya, Mannar and Trincomalee. She reported on the difficulties faced by those displaced by the conflict and has discussed this with the Government of Sri Lanka. The High Commissioner will be visiting Jaffna from 21-24 March.

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which Ministers in his Department have visited Sri Lanka since 1 May 1997. [113433]

Mr. Hain: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 20 January 2000, Official Report, column 579W.

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Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had within the European Union on the involvement of that organisation in the resolution of the conflict in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement. [113432]

Mr. Hain: The ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka is discussed frequently in EU forums.

International Labour Organisation Convention

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government have ratified the International Labour Office Convention C138; and if he will make a statement. [113434]

Mr. Hain: We are taking steps to ratify ILO Convention 138. After a period of consultation between Government Departments, legislative amendments, necessary before ratification can be carried out, are being drafted. We will ratify the Convention as soon as Parliamentary procedures are completed.

Great Lakes Region

Ms Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the implications for the Great Lakes Region of UN Security Council Resolution 1291. [113425]

Mr. Hain: The adoption of Security Council Resolution 1291, providing for the establishment of a substantial UN observer force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is an important step forward. It is a clear demonstration of the Security Council's readiness to provide practical support to the Lusaka Agreement. It provides the framework for the UN and the international community to play a significant role in bringing peace to the Great Lakes region.

Britain wants to see results. That is why we want the observer force to deploy quickly so that it can begin its work, which includes drawing up an action plan for the comprehensive disarmament, demobilisation, resettlement and reintegration (DDRR) of all armed groups listed in the Lusaka Agreement. A credible DDRR plan is vital to the success of Lusaka and to lasting peace in the region.

And, as I made clear at January's special Security Council meeting, Britain is ready to consider a full UN peacekeeping force if the observer force deploys successfully, and the Lusaka signatories carry through their commitments.

Burundi

Ms Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the Burundian peace negotiations in Arusha. [113424]

Mr. Hain: The Arusha talks remain the key to lasting peace in Burundi. Nelson Mandela's arrival as Facilitator has increased the chances of a peace settlement. But many difficult problems remain and the situation on the ground is deteriorating.

In discussions with President Buyoya and other Heads of State attending the Burundi Summit in Arusha, I reaffirmed Britain's strong support for Nelson Mandela's

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facilitation and the peace process. The presence of many international leaders in Arusha attests to the strong international support for the talks.

We continue to urge all parties to tackle the difficult issues: a ceasefire, military reform, amnesties, and the transition to a broad based democratic government. We will continue to back the peace process.

St. Helena

Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place the report containing the Wallace recommendations on the constitution of St. Helena in the Library. [113593]

Mr. Battle: I have arranged for copies of Mr. Wallace's "Review of the Constitution of St. Helena", 1987, to be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Zimbabwe

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received from Zimbabwe of wide-scale incursions by squatters on to white-owned farms; what assessment he has made of the extent of Government involvement in these incursions; and if he will make a statement. [113579]

Mr. Hain: We have been following events closely, and have been concerned at the lack of action on the part of the police. The High Commissioner has spoken of our concern to a number of senior Cabinet Ministers. On 6 March I spoke to the Vice President who assured me that the Government were taking action to remove the trespassers from the farms.

SOCIAL SECURITY

Housing Benefit

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to allow registered social landlords to verify new tenant claims for housing benefit. [112623]

Angela Eagle: We have no plans to make it our policy to allow registered social landlords to verify evidence for Housing Benefit claims on behalf of the local authority.

While landlords can assist their tenants by collecting the necessary evidence and forwarding it to the local authority, there is a potential conflict of interest in any landlord certifying evidence on behalf of a tenant in order that the tenant's rent may be paid by way of Housing Benefit.

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to provide housing benefit to tenants of registered social landlords on the same basis as tenants of local authorities; and if he will make a statement. [112622]

Angela Eagle: Cases involving Housing Benefit claims from local authority tenants are not subject to rent officer controls over the amount of Housing Benefit payable

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because local authority rents are subject to rules set by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. In these cases, as landlords, local authorities provide Housing Benefit simply by rebating their tenants' rent accounts.

Cases involving Housing Benefit claims from tenants of registered social landlords are not referred to rent officers unless it appears to the local authority that the level of rent charged is unreasonably high or the accommodation is over-large.

Payments of Housing Benefit are made either directly to registered social landlords or to their tenants. We have no plans to empower registered social landlords to administer the Housing Benefit scheme in respect of their tenants.

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