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Joannou and Paraskevaides Group
Mr. Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what construction contracts his Department has awarded to the Joannou and Paraskevaides Group in the last three years. [123145]
Dr. Moonie [holding answer 22 May 2000]: The Ministry of Defence has not awarded any construction contracts to Joannou and Paraskevaides within the last three years.
Mr. Mullineux
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) (a) if he will make a statement on the reasons which underlay the decision (i) to remove the body of the son of Margaret Maurex from an NHS hospital to a Ministry of Defence site, where a post-mortem examination was performed and (ii) not to ask the permission of Margaret Maurex, (b) what tests were performed on the body, (c) what were the results of the post-mortem examination and (d) for what reasons such exercises were performed in secret; and if he will make a statement; [115926]
- (2) what notification was given to Mrs. Margaret Maurex of the post-mortem conducted at a Ministry of Defence site on her son. [116283]
Dr. Moonie: Mr. A. I. Mullineux was discharged from the Regular Army on 10 August 1992 under Queen's Regulations 9.374--"At the Soldier's request on payment--transfer to the Regular Reserve". He was not employed in support of any UK sponsored military operations at the time of his death in Bosnia in February 1993. A careful examination of Mr. Mullineux's contemporary Service records indicates that the Ministry of Defence did not play any role in the repatriation of Mr. Mullineux's body to the UK, nor any post-mortem, which would properly have been the responsibility of the civil authorities.
Imported Meat
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the prescribed welfare standards included in the legislative requirements governing the supply of imported meat to Her Majesty's forces. [115639]
Dr. Moonie [holding answer 22 May 2000]: There are no prescribed welfare standards included in the legislative requirements governing the import of meat for consumption by HM Forces. However the hygiene standards to which meat imported into the EU most comply are regulated by EU legislation. Welfare standards applying to the rearing, transportation and slaughter of livestock within the EU is subject to regulation by EU Directives.
Gulf Veterans
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons his Department has performed post mortem examinations on Gulf veterans; how many
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post mortems have taken place and where they were conducted; what types of specimen have been taken and where they were tested; what tests were performed on cadavers and with what results; and if he will make a statement. [116284]
Mr. Spellar: The MOD has no specific arrangements to request post mortem examinations on Gulf veterans, nor is it routinely informed of the results of such examinations. While the MOD is aware that post mortems have been performed on some Gulf veterans, data on numbers, locations, types of specimen taken, tests and results could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Press Officers
Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many press officers were employed by his Department in (a) March 1997 and (b) March 2000. [123304]
Mr. Byers: On 1 March 1997 there were 17 Press Officers employed in the DTI Newsroom. On 1 March 2000 there were 21 Press Officers.
Regulations
Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the total cost to (a) business and (b) the public sector of regulations introduced by his Department since May 1997. [123303]
Mr. Byers: Details are contained in the Regulatory Impact Assessments that have been carried out for all regulations introduced by my Department that impose or reduce costs. Copies of all such assessments are available in the Library of the House.
Recruitment
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish summary information on his Department's recruitment for the calendar year 1999 and the use of permitted exceptions to the principles of fair and open competition and selection on merit, as required by the Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Code. [123767]
Dr. Howells: It is DTI policy that recruitment is carried out on the basis of fair and open competition and selection on merit, subject to the exceptions permitted by the Civil Service Commissioners. My Department has systems in place, which ensure that the principles of fair and open competition are understood and followed in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Service Commissioners' recruitment Code. These Systems are subject to internal check and to external check by the Commissioner's approved auditors.
The following table and narratives describe DTI recruitment other than for the DTI's Executive Agencies and the Government Office network who make separate arrangements for publishing recruitment data.
(1) Includes numbers of casuals, sandwich course students, legal trainees
(1) Note that ethnic data have been suppressed for those ranges where numbers recruited are five or less to avoid the possibility of identifying individuals.
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The number of occasions on which the permitted exceptions to fair and open competition and selection on merit have been used at each level (except for appointments of up to 12 months) are categorised as follows. Details of the exceptions are underneath the relevant category.
- Extensions of appointments of up to 12 months up to a maximum of 24 months--none
Short term appointment where highly specialised skills are required--One Range 10 on standby contract to set-up Joint Cambridge University/MIT Institute project. One Range 11 stayed beyond retirement to continue work on Omissions and trading group secretariat for the Environment group before the Budget.
Recurrent short term appointments--Two Range 3s, one Range 5, five Range 10s, all employed in the Queens Award office where the work is seasonal.
Extensions of short term appointments beyond the initial publicised period, including conversions to permanency--One Range 5 Statistical Officer whose appointment was extended for a further six months to oversee the completion of a project; one Range 7 Research Officer converted to permanency due to difficulty of recruiting a Research Officer.
Secondments--56
Re-appointment of former civil servants--Two Range 4s recruited by Employment relations resigned and asked for re-instatement.
Transfers of staff with their work (not under TUPE)--none
Transfer of staff from other public services without work (unless from a public body staffed exclusively by civil servants)--none
Appointments of surplus acceptable candidates to shortage posts--none
No disabled candidates were appointed under modified selection arrangements.
Any use of the exceptions reserved for the Commissioners (i.e. appointments on the basis of the proven distinction of the individual and appointments not in order of merit)--none.
Miners Strike
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement regarding dismissals by British Coal during the 1984-85 miners strike. [123768]
Mrs. Liddell: In their report, the Coalfield Task Force established by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister recommended that the DTI review the pension
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entitlements of men who were not reinstated following their dismissal during that dispute. True to our commitment to investigate this matter, I have today distributed to interested parties a consultative document.
The document endeavours to present a broadly factual account of British Coal's dismissal and re-employment policy around the time of the strike and in its aftermath. It focuses in particular on those individuals who were not re-employed in the aftermath of the strike and whose cases were not considered by Industrial Tribunals at the time. It also addresses concerns which have been expressed over the pension rights of individuals who were found by Industrial Tribunals to have been unfairly dismissed.
The document also proposes a twin approach aimed at achieving a resolution which I hope will be seen as just in the eyes of all those who continue to live with the effects of this tragic period in the industry's history.
I am placing copies of the document in the Libraries of the House.
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