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Zimbabwe

Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make future aid programmes to Zimbabwe conditional on respect for democracy and human rights. [118047]

Clare Short: Good governance and human rights are among the factors taken into account in formulating strategy in all country programmes. Our Zimbabwe country strategy published in 1999 makes clear our position in relation to Zimbabwe.

Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs concerning the suspension of aid to Zimbabwe. [118053]

Clare Short: I have been keeping the development programme for Zimbabwe under very close review since 1997, taking full account of other Departments views. It is the Government's view that it would not help the poor in Zimbabwe to suspend our aid programme. We are disbursing less than half the aid that our published Country Strategy Paper makes clear would be available if the Zimbabwe Government showed a commitment to better governance and economic policies that would benefit the country and improve the life of the poor of Zimbabwe.

TREASURY

Business Tax

Mr. St.Aubyn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the Treasury estimate of business tax based on the OECD definition as a share of GDP in (a) UK, (b) France and (c) Germany in the latest year for which figures are available. [118643]

Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 11 April 2000]: The latest OECD figures for tax on business as a share of GDP, for the UK, France and Germany, are published in the OECD publication "Revenue Statistics: 1965/98". A copy of this document is available in the House Library.

Public Debt Interest Payments

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the reduction in public debt interest payments resulting from a (a) 2 per cent., (b) 3 per cent., (c) 4 per cent. and (d) 5 per cent reduction in interest rates over a period of three years. [118096]

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Mr. Andrew Smith: Because of the wider economic consequences of such large interest rate movements, the impact on inflation and Government borrowing would give rise to indirect changes to debt interest payments which are difficult to predict both in magnitude and direction.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Crown Prosecution Service

24. Mr. Geraint Davies: To ask the Solicitor-General what assessment he has made of the work of the Crown Prosecution Service in co-operating with police and judicial authorities to speed up the completion of court cases. [117755]

The Solicitor-General: Since my appointment as Solicitor-General, I have visited many Crown Prosecution Service offices throughout England and Wales. The people I speak to, and the reports I receive, confirm that the CPS continues to co-operate closely with the police and the courts in bringing a high proportion of cases to a speedy conclusion and, wherever possible, at the first hearing. These improvements have involved a significant change in the working practices for many CPS staff which, I am pleased to report, they have undertaken with enthusiasm and professionalism.

25. Mr. Fabricant: To ask the Solicitor-General what estimate he has made of the costs to the Crown Prosecution Service of the closure of local magistrates courts in the last year for which figures are available. [117757]

The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service does not gather information on any costs (or savings) incurred from the closure of local magistrates courts.

26. Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Solicitor-General what progress he has made on the review of the code for crown prosecutors. [117759]

The Solicitor-General: The review team has now been established, and met for the first time on 5 April. Consultation has begun: the team has written to a large number of organisations and individuals with an interest in the criminal justice system, asking for comments on the existing Code. Local consultation is being led by Chief Crown Prosecutors, who will report their findings to the review team. Information about the Code review has been put on the CPS website, together with an invitation to the general public to e-mail or write to the CPS with comments on the Code. The Director aims to publish the new Code in early September.

27. Mr. Paterson: To ask the Solicitor-General if he will make a statement on the efficiency of the Crown Prosecution Service. [117760]

The Solicitor-General: In the year ending December 1999, the CPS secured convictions in respect of 98.3 per cent. (980,729) of defendants in magistrates courts, whose case proceeded to a hearing. In the Crown court, convictions were secured in respect of a further 88.4 per cent. (67,352) of defendants.

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The CPS have worked closely with the police and courts to implement the Narey and Crime and Disorder Act provisions to bring offenders to court, in many cases the day after charge. In most of England and Wales, at least 60 per cent. of cases are now completed at the first hearing.

The CPS is also developing local plans to implement new criminal justice units with the police to handle cases in magistrates courts more efficiently and new trial units which will allow the CPS to shift the balance of its resources in favour of the most serious cases in the Crown court.

Sentences (Driving Offences)

Mr. Coaker: To ask the Solicitor-General how many unduly lenient sentences the Attorney General has referred to the Court of Appeal in the past five years which relate to driving offences. [117758]

The Solicitor-General: The number of sentences referred to the Court of Appeal in cases which concerned either causing death by dangerous driving or causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs is as follows:

1995--five sentences;

1996--11 sentences;

1997--one sentence;

1998--five sentences;

1999--three sentences.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Select Committees

Mr. White: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many specialist advisers have been appointed by each Select Committee; and what were the associated costs since May 1997. [118349]

Mr. Darvill: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, how much has been spent on overseas travel by each Select Committee since May 1997. [118360]

Mr. Kirkwood: The information sought by the hon. Members is contained in the Sessional Returns ordered to be printed by the House on 25 January 1999 (HC142) and on 16 December 1999 (HC1). The returns contain comprehensive information about Select Committee activity costs and costs which the hon. Members may find useful.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Imported Livestock (Hygiene)

10. Mr. Evans: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on food hygiene standards in respect of livestock imported into the UK from France. [117741]

Mr. Morley: Livestock imported into the United Kingdom from France and from other member states must be certified in accordance with harmonised rules for

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intra-Community trade. Random, non-discriminatory documentary, physical and identity checks are carried out on such imports. Thereafter, livestock entering the United Kingdom is subject to the same legislation as livestock reared here.

Pig Industry

11. Mr. Hope: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action the Government are taking to support British pig farmers and the pig industry. [117742]

Ms Quin: At the 30 March Agriculture summit my right hon. Friend the Minister announced that the Government have decided to introduce a pig industry restructuring scheme. This three year scheme, which has been formally notified to the European Commission and we await its clearance, will make available £26 million to pig producers in its first year. The aim of the scheme will be to help pig producers reduce breeding capacity, reduce costs, overcome any competitive disadvantage and restore long term viability.

My Department has also helped the pig industry through the Agriculture Development Scheme and through measures to promote pigmeat consumption and to tackle misleading labelling.

Climate Change

12. Mr. Cousins: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the effects of global warming and climate change on British food production. [117743]

Mr. Morley: Like many business sectors, agriculture will need to adapt to the effects of changing climatic conditions. Last month, my Department published a booklet summarising a £6 million research programme we have commissioned into the impact of climate change on all sectors of agriculture. The booklet also suggests practical ways in which farm management can adapt.

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