| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Women Prisoners
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his estimate is of the increase in the proportion of women prisoners over the next five years. [126125]
26 Jun 2000 : Column: 398W
Mr. Boateng: Over the next five years, the current middle variant projection is for the proportion of female prisoners in Prison Service establishments to increase from an average 5.2 per cent. in 2000 to 5.4 per cent. in 2005.
PRIME MINISTER
Central Railway
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Prime Minister what representations his office has received from Central Railway within the last two months. [126534]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 26 June 2000]: So far as I am aware, none.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Prime Minister on which dates members of his office met representatives of Central Railway plc in the last two months. [126910]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 20 June 2000]: I refer the hon. Member to answer I gave him on 8 June 2000, Official Report, column 355W.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Maclennan: To ask the Prime Minister how many written parliamentary questions tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April have not received substantive answers, for reasons of commercial or other confidentiality. [127685]
The Prime Minister: Of the 454 written answers I provided within the specified period, nine withheld information in accordance with the relevant section of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information or other convention in line with the practice adopted by previous Governments.
Mr. Maclennan: To ask the Prime Minister how many of the written parliamentary questions tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April 2000 have not received substantive answers, excluding those not answered for reasons of (a) disproportionate cost, (b) information not available, not held centrally, or not held in the form requested and (c) commercial or other confidentiality. [127341]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 22 June 2000]: None.
Mr. Maclennan: To ask the Prime Minister how many written parliamentary questions tabled to his Office between 19 October 1999 and 20 April have not received substantive answers on the grounds of (a) commercial and (b) other confidentiality. [127106]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 21 June 2000]: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him today.
Channel Islands (Banking Secrecy)
Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral statement of 21 June, if the Government of the Channel Islands were consulted on the proposals relating to banking secrecy. [127819]
26 Jun 2000 : Column: 399W
The Prime Minister: My statement referred to the agreement reached at the European Council at Feira about how best to tackle the problem of cross-border tax evasion within the European Union. The UK discusses regularly with the Channel Islands international tax issues and matters of mutual interest.
SOLICITOR-GENERAL
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Solicitor-General when he will give a substantive reply to the question tabled by the hon. Member for West Lancashire for answer on 27 November 1999. [127451]
The Solicitor-General: I have written to my hon. Friend today with a substantive answer to his question.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Your Britain, Your Europe Roadshow
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the meeting which necessitated the postponement of the Minister for Europe's planned visit to Reading as part of the Your Britain, Your Europe Roadshow on 26 May was arranged. [126882]
Mr. Vaz: In December last year the Portuguese Presidency scheduled the first informal meeting of Euro-Mediterranean Foreign Ministers. I had planned to attend the main day of the meeting and return to the UK on 26 May, travelling directly to Reading. After it became apparent that my commitments at the Euro-Med meeting and transport times meant that the visit would have to be curtailed, Reading Borough Council advised me on 19 May that a half day programme would not do sufficient justice to the town's contribution to our relations with the EU. We agreed therefore to postpone the visit until 10 November.
Sierra Leone
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the role of the Committee for the Release of Prisoners of War and Non-Combatants, established under the Lome Agreement; what representations he made to the parties on this issue; and how many prisoners of war have been released. [126887]
Mr. Hain: The Committee for the Release of Prisoners of War and Non-Combatants was established prior to the signature of the Lome Peace Agreement. The Committee has met periodically under UN chairmanship.
Britain has regularly pressed the parties for the release of all detainees. However, many are believed to remain in the custody of the Revolutionary United Front.
No definitive figures of released prisoners of war are available.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what occasions his office was in (a) telephone and (b) direct communication with negotiators discussing peace in Sierra Leone in Lome; to
26 Jun 2000 : Column: 400W
what extent (i) the UK delegation to Togo and (ii) the West Africa section of his Department was involved; and if he will make a statement. [126890]
Mr. Hain: British officials observing the Lome peace negotiations remained in close touch with the negotiators throughout. Ministers were kept fully informed of the progress of negotiations.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what senior (a) political, (b) military, and (c) quasi-judicial positions were occupied by Revolutionary United Front personnel as a consequence of the Lome Peace Agreement. [126886]
Mr. Hain: Following signature of the Lome Peace Agreement, three Cabinet positions and three Deputy Ministerial positions were allocated to members of the Revolutionary United Front. The RUF leader, Foday Sankoh, was made Chair of the Commission for the Management of Strategic Resources, National Reconstruction and Development.
No military or quasi-judicial positions were occupied by members of the Revolutionary United Front.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of Article XVIII of the Lome Agreement on Sierra Leone on the effectiveness of that country's helicopter support capabilities; and if he will make a statement. [126893]
Mr. Hain: Article XVIII of the Lome Peace Agreement states that
- All mercenaries, in any guise, shall be withdrawn from Sierra Leone immediately upon signing of the present Agreement. Their withdrawal shall be supervised by the Joint Monitoring Commission.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the status of the trust fund established in the Lome Peace Agreement to transform the Revolutionary United Front into a political party; how much money was paid into the fund; and what British funds were involved. [126884]
Mr. Hain: Article III of the Lome Peace Agreement states that the Parties shall approach the international community with a view to mobilising resources for the purposes of enabling the Revolutionary United Front to function as a political party. These resources may include the setting up of a trust fund.
By the end of April, the Revolutionary United Front had not fully completed its procedures to register as a political party; nor had a trust fund been fully established.
No British funds were paid into such a trust fund.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the value of the (a) diamonds and (b) gold sold by the Commission for the Management of Strategic Resources, National Reconstruction and Development established under the Lome Peace Agreement; and what measures
26 Jun 2000 : Column: 401W
were put in place during negotiations on the Agreement to ensure the Sierra Leone Treasury received the entire proceeds of these sales. [126888]
Mr. Hain: The Commission for the Management of Strategic Resources, National Reconstruction and Development was created to help the Government of Sierra Leone exercise full control of the exploitation of gold, diamonds and other resources for the benefit of the people of Sierra Leone. The Lome Peace Agreement provided that the funds derived from resources managed by the Commission would be paid into a special account at the Sierra Leone Treasury, to be sued for the benefit of the people of Sierra Leone.
Despite international support for this objective, by the end of April, the Commission and its associated mechanisms had not been fully established.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |