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Sierra Leone
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Belgian Government on the regulation of the diamond industry in connection with Sierra Leone; and if he will make a statement. [126679]
Mr. Hain: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I have each raised the issue of conflict diamonds with the Belgian Foreign Minister, stressing the need for early international action to prevent revenue from illicit diamond trading fuelling conflict. Officials met with representatives of the Belgian Government and the Diamond High Council of Antwerp this month to discuss a draft United Nations Security Council resolution, proposed by the UK, which would ban trade in diamonds from Sierra Leone which were not certified as legitimate by the Government of Sierra Leone.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the strength and composition of the United Nations peacekeeping forces in Sierra Leone. [126681]
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Mr. Hain: The strength of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) now exceeds 12,500. Principal troop contributors currently include Bangladesh, Ghana, Guinea, India, Jordan, Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia. Her Majesty's Government continue to provide direct headquarters, intelligence and logistic support to UNAMSIL.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of paramilitary activists in Sierra Leone who have voluntarily disarmed and entered into rehabilitation programmes. [126680]
Mr. Hain: Of the estimated total of 45,000 combatants in Sierra Leone, by the end of April, some 24,000 had entered the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration programme under the Lome Peace Agreement.
One of the key priorities now is to establish a revised programme for those combatants willing genuinely to disarm.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Millennium Dome
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his answer of 5 June 2000, Official Report, column 93W, on the Dome sale, in what proportions the proceeds of the sale of the Dome will be split between the New Millennium Experience Company and English Partnerships. [125449]
Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 12 June 2000]: The proportion of the proceeds that will be split between the New Millennium Experience Company and English Partnerships is still under consideration. Any such decision depends, among other issues, on the precise content of any winning bid for the Dome's legacy.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what legal technical and practical impediments exist to selling the Dome prior to 31 December. [125448]
Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 12 June 2000]: The handover of the Dome to the preferred bidder will take place on 1 January 2001. There are no plans to bring forward the competition timetable. While there are no legal reasons why the Dome could not be sold prior to 1 January, time constraints and issues surrounding planning permission could make handover prior to 1 January difficult for either of the two final shortlisted bidders.
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what bids he has received to site biotechnology industry in the Dome following its sale. [126044]
Mr. Chris Smith: No bids to site biotechnology industry in the Dome have been received by the Competition team. However, the final shortlisted bid by Legacy plc, which proposes a high technology industrial campus, could be capable of accommodating biotechnology industry occupiers.
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Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) by what criteria the performance of Pierre-Yves Gerbeau will be judged for the purpose of bonus payment calculations; [125932]
- (2) pursuant to the answer of 9 June 2000, Official Report, column 397W, regarding the Millennium Dome, if the target for visitor numbers which will be one of a range of measures used in any decision to award a bonus payment to the Chief Executive of the New Millennium Experience Company will be the stated target when P-Y. Gerbeau was appointed; and if he will make a statement. [126290]
Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 19 June 2000]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 4 February 2000, Official Report, column 771W, by my hon. Friend the Minister for Tourism, Film and Broadcasting.
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport by what criteria the success of the Millennium Dome will be judged. [125933]
Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 19 June 2000]: The 2.7 million people that have visited the Millennium Dome have already judged the project to be a success. More than 85 per cent. of visitors come away from the Dome satisfied with their day and almost 80 per cent. say they will recommend a visit to family and friends. This is a higher satisfaction rating than for any other pay-to-visit attraction in Europe.
Lottery Grants
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Blyth Valley (Mr. Campbell) of 15 May 2000, Official Report, column 580W, on Lottery grants, what steps are proposed to increase the amount of Lottery money going to the constituency of Wirral South. [126955]
Kate Hoey: Following the publication on 5 June of a report on the impact of the National Lottery on coalfield and other areas of low take-up, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has set up an action team, involving representatives of both Government and Lottery distributors. The team will look into ways of ensuring that areas of low take-up such as Wirral South receive greater benefit from National Lottery money. Measures to be developed by the team include actively encouraging applications, reducing partnership funding requirements, making decision-making more transparent and a scheme where successful bidders teach other would-be applicants how to apply.
New Millennium Experience Company
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if he will publish, on a case by case basis, the amounts disbursed to date by the New Millennium Experience Company in relation to litigation; [126464]
- (2) what contingency exists in the budget of the New Millennium Experience Company to meet the cost of litigation; [126462]
(3) what assessment he made of the value of the New Millennium Experience Company's current and contingent liabilities in relation to litigation. [126463]
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Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 19 June 2000]: The New Millennium Experience Company considers that publication of details of issues relating to litigation runs the risk of adversely impacting on its relationships with those organisations and companies it has entered into contract with and, therefore, on its ability to operate in an effective and commercial manner.
Hawksworth Hall
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received concerning Hawksworth Hall, near Leeds; and if he will make a statement. [126871]
Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 19 June 2000]: One such representation has been received by my Department and has been transferred to the Government Office for Yorkshire and Humberside.
I am aware that there are proposals to redevelop Hawksworth Hall. The issues currently being considered are a planning and listed building consent application. It would not be right therefore for me to comment on the case, since to do so could prejudice the position of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions in the event of the case being called in by him or becoming the subject of an appeal. However, arrangements are in place for this Department to be consulted where appropriate.
PRIME MINISTER
Special Advisers
Mr. Baker: To ask the Prime Minister what steps he takes to ensure that the work of special advisers does not compromise the political neutrality of civil servants. [127095]
The Prime Minister: The Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Code are clear that public resources must not be used for party political purposes and that the political impartiality of the Civil Service must be upheld.
Mr. Baker: To ask the Prime Minister if he will set a maximum limit of two special advisers per department. [127094]
The Prime Minister: Under the terms of the Ministerial Code, Cabinet Ministers may each appoint up to two special advisers. Where Ministers appoint two part-time special advisers this will normally be counted as one full-time equivalent. All appointments require my approval. Departures from the rule of two special advisers per Cabinet Minister are exceptional. These decisions are taken on the merits of the individual case.
Engagements
Sir Peter Tapsell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 21 June. [126581]
The Prime Minister: This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I will have further such meetings later today.