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Public Sector Regulation
Mr. Watts: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps she has taken to improve public sector regulation. [119662]
Marjorie Mowlam: The Government are concerned about the amount of red tape and bureaucratic procedures that are affecting the delivery of public services to the
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citizen. I recently established a team within the Regulatory Impact Unit in the Cabinet Office to examine and review the red tape and bureaucracy that exists within the Public Sector and to recommend ways of reducing them. I asked the Public Sector Team to produce an initial report on police paperwork, in conjunction with the Government Departments with responsibility for the criminal justice system.
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I am delighted to publish today their report called "Making a difference: Reducing Police Paperwork", copies of which I have placed in the Libraries of the House. The report recommends a number of deregulation measures on police paperwork, which my ministerial colleagues and I hope will free up police time, enabling them to deliver their front line services more effectively.
The Public Sector Team will continue to work towards making regulation in the criminal justice system more efficient and effective, and will, in due course, also turn their attention to regulation affecting health, schools and local authority issues.
WALES
National Lottery
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money was spent in Wales by the National Lottery on each of the sectors of activity which it supported during 1999. [118341]
Kate Hoey: I have been asked to reply.
According to the distributing bodies the amount of National Lottery money awarded to grant recipients based in Wales during 1999 was:
| Good cause | Amount |
|---|---|
| The Arts | 14,260,264 |
| Charities | 26,611,341 |
| Heritage | 17,767,408 |
| Millennium projects | 97,712 |
| Sport | 7,329,822 |
| Education, Health and the Environment | 632,158 |
| Total | 66,698,705 |
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
European Defence
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what recent discussions he has had with his European Union counterparts regarding (a) the missile threat to Europe, (b) the US Government preparations to pursue National Missile Defence, (c) US-Russian discussions on ABM treaty modifications and (d) continuing NATO discussions on theatre missile defence; [119169]
- (2) what recent representations he has made to his European Union counterparts regarding the threat to Europe from weapons of mass destruction. [119172]
Mr. Vaz: These issues are the subject of regular discussions in NATO. European Union partners which are also members of the Alliance take part in the discussions. These issues also arise frequently in our bilateral contacts with EU partners. Proliferation issues are regularly discussed in the appropriate European Union Common Foreign and Security Policy forum.
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Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the progress made in setting up modalities for full consultation, co-operation and transparency between the EU and NATO. [119174]
Mr. Vaz: The United Kingdom is fully involved in the continuing discussions to ensure the best means of ensuring full mutual consultation, co-operation and transparency between the EU and NATO.
The Presidency will report on progress to the European Council at Feira on 19-20 June.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what recent representations he has made to the US administration on further development of the European Union's Common Security and Defence Policy; [119175]
- (2) what recent representations he has received from the US administration on the development of the European Union's Common Security and Defence Policy. [119177]
Mr. Vaz: The Secretary of State visited Washington in February, and discussed European Defence with Mrs. Albright. The Defence Secretary discussed European Defence with his US opposite number in January. There are other frequent Ministerial and official contacts.
The US Administration remains supportive of the initiative: in recent Senate testimony, Assistant Secretary of State Marc Grossman commented that:
- ESDI will be good for the Alliance, good for US interests and good for the US-European relationship.
- (2) what recent discussions the EU has had with (a) non-EU European NATO members and (b) other countries who are candidates to the EU on establishing appropriate structures for dialogue and information on issues related to security and defence policy and crisis management. [119173]
Mr. Vaz: The UK, other EU members and the Presidency have regular bilateral and multilateral discussions with the non-EU European NATO members and EU candidates on this subject.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with other Government Departments on (a) the missile threat to Europe and (b) the US Government preparations to pursue National Missile Defence. [119171]
Mr. Vaz: We are in continuous contact with all other Government Departments with an interest in these issues.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received from (a) the Czech Republic, (b) Hungary and (c) Poland on the development of the European Union's Common Security and Defence Policy. [119176]
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Mr. Vaz: The Secretary of State met the Foreign Ministers of Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic on 29 February. I met their deputies on 31 March-1 April. The future role of the non-EU Allies in EU crisis management operations was discussed in detail on both occasions.
Gibraltar
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date the European Court of Human Rights issued its decision on the right of the people of Gibraltar to vote in European Parliament elections; how he plans to comply with the decision of the court; and if he will make a statement. [119018]
Mr. Vaz: The judgment was given on 18 February 1999. Within a month the Government tabled an amendment to the 1976 EC Act on Direct Elections in order to extend the European franchise to Gibraltar. We have continued to press for that, and will spare no effort to secure Gibraltar's enfranchisement.
US National Missile Defence System
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received from the US Administration on the US Government's preparations to pursue National Missile Defence. [119170]
Mr. Vaz: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Milton Keynes South-West (Dr. Starkey) and the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell (Mr. Taylor) on 4 April 2000, Official Report, columns 408-09W. We remain in regular dialogue with the United States Administration.
EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on incorporating the Charter of Fundamental Rights into the Treaty. [119306]
Mr. Vaz: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) on 10 April 2000, Official Report, column 78W.
Bosnia
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many suspected war criminals have been apprehended by British forces in Bosnia. [117902]
Mr. Hain: British SFOR troops have successfully detained nine war crimes suspects indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. They have also been involved in the arrest of a further two suspects with other SFOR forces. An indictee was also shot dead by British SFOR personnel acting in self-defence during a detention operation.
International Criminal Court
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to place
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the ratification of the International Criminal Court on the agenda at the Copenhagen Plus Five Conference in June. [118970]
Mr. Hain: The UK regularly encourages support for the International Criminal Court (ICC) at appropriate multilateral fora. The Copenhagen Plus Five Conference will review implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action which resulted from the World Summit for Social Development in 1995, and consider further initiatives. As ratification of the ICC falls outside the issues covered at Copenhagen, it is not expected to feature on the Conference agenda.
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