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MINECOR

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the cost to date of MINECOR; and if he will itemise those costs. [128721]

Mr. Vaz: The monthly meetings of the Ministerial Group for European Co-ordination incur no additional costs.

Ministerial Code

Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many times Ministers in his Department have sought the advice of the Permanent Secretary under the circumstances envisaged in Paragraphs 118, 121 and 123 of the Ministerial Code; and on which occasions such advice was sought; [129168]

(2) on how many occasions since May 1997 Ministers in his Department have made a declaration of interest to their colleagues under circumstances envisaged in Paragraph 110 of the Ministerial Code. [129155]

Mr. Robin Cook: Information relating to internal advice and consultation is not disclosed under Exemption II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Armenia

Ms Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the export of demining equipment to Armenia. [129911]

Mr. Vaz: The Government have recently approved the export of demining equipment for operations in Armenia. These will be used by the HALO Trust during humanitarian landmine clearance operations. This licence was granted for humanitarian purposes. It also reflects the determination of the Government to eliminate the scourge of landmines.

The UK remains committed to the OSCE arms embargo against both Azerbaijan and Armenia, which the UK interprets as covering all goods and technology in Part III of Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994 (commonly known as the military list).

Visas (Istanbul)

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the current waiting time is for a person applying in Istanbul for a visa to visit the UK for business purposes to be granted an initial interview. [129284]

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Mr. Vaz: 91 per cent. of visit visa applications in Istanbul are processed without the applicant requiring a full interview and would look to process their application within 24 hours. The few visitors who require a full interview, including any applicants travelling for business purposes, currently have to wait 10 days.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

PFI Contracts

Mr. Alan Williams: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the PFI contracts entered into by his Department indicating (a) their dates of commencement, (b) their value, (c) if they have been subject to refinancing and (d) if his Department has a claw-back entitlement to share in the savings arising from refinancing. [129054]

Jane Kennedy: The Lord Chancellor's Department has signed the following PFI contracts:

1. LOCCS (Courts computer system):

(a) commenced October 1996;

(b) capital value £14m;

(c) no;

(d) no.

2. ARAMIS (A Resource Accounting and Management Information System):

(a) commenced December 1997;

(b) capital value £39.52m;

(c) no;

(d) no.

3. Libra (Magistrates' courts IT system):

(a) commenced December 1998;

(b) capital value £75m;

(c) no;

(d) yes.

4. Probate Records Centre (New facility for holding and issuing probate records):

(a) commenced July 1999;

(b) capital value £10.89m;

(c) no;

(d) yes.

In addition, the Lord Chancellor's Department supports the following magistrates' courthouse PFI projects which have been signed by local authorities:

1. Hereford and Worcester Magistrates' Courts:

(a) commenced February 2000;

(b) capital value £21m;

(c) no.

(d) no.

2. Humberside Magistrates' Courts:

(a) commenced March 2000;

(b) capital value £22m;

(c) no;

(d) yes.

Housing Act 1996

Mr. Love: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many appeals were

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heard against reviews undertaken under section 2.4 of the Housing Act 1996 in (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99 and (c) 1999-2000, in each county court. [128907]

Mr. Lock: Statistics specifically on appeals against reviews undertaken under section 204 of the Housing Act 1996 are not collected and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Vehicles

Mr. Pearson: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list for his Department and its agencies the approved list of manufacturers of (a) cars and (b) commercial vehicles; and if he will make a statement on his Department's leasing and purchasing policy. [128996]

Mr. Lock: I refer my hon. Friend to the written answer, covering the Government Car and Despatch Agency, given today in another place by my noble and learned Friend the Minister of State at the Cabinet Office to the noble Lord Hoyle. For the Lord Chancellor's Department and its agencies, HM Land Registry, the Public Record Office and the Northern Ireland Court Service the current manufacturers on approved lists for cars are: Citroen, Fiat, Ford, Honda, Land Rover, Peugeot, Rover and Vauxhall.

There are no approved lists of manufacturers for commercial vehicles.

Vehicles are purchased through Government contracts, which determine the choice that is available.

Vehicles are procured in line with the Government's policy to secure value for money for the taxpayer and the EC procurement rules.

New Deal

Mr. Brady: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many employees of his Department and its agencies have been recruited from the New Deal; and what percentage this represents of total staff. [129100]

Mr. Lock: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given today, Official Report, column 292W, by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office to my hon. Friend the Member for Bradford, North (Mr. Rooney). The number of New Dealers within my Department, its executive agencies and the Land Registry and Public Records Office represents 0.1 per cent. of total staff. This figure does not include those participants in the New Deal scheme who have joined the Court Service and Public Trust Office agencies or the Land Registry or Public Records Office through normal open recruitment schemes and have taken up unsubsidised places. Statistics on these members of staff are not currently held centrally; however, centralisation of these records is planned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Government Bills

Mr. Brady: To ask the President of the Council how many amendments to Government Bills tabled during

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the present Parliament by (a) Opposition spokesmen, (b) Opposition backbench hon. Members and (c) Government backbench hon. Members which had been selected were not debated on the Floor of the House as a result of timetabling of the report Stage of Bills. [127857]

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Mrs. Beckett: The information requested could be provided only for Sessions 1998-99 and 1999-2000 (to 30 June) and is included in the following table ¹ . Information for session 1997-98 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

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	Amendments tabled by Opposition spokesmen but not debated	Amendments tabled by Opposition backbenchers but not debated	Amendments tabled by Government backbenchers but not debated
Session 1998-99
Local Government Bill: Further consideration, 24 March 1999	11	0	0
Greater London Authority Bill: Consideration, 4 May 1999	11	0	0
Greater London Authority Bill: Further consideration, 5 May 1999	1	0	0
Welfare Reform and Pensions Bill: Further consideration, 20 May 1999	1	1	0
Health Bill [Lords]: Further consideration, 15 June 1999	47	0	1
Immigration and Asylum Bill: Consideration, 15 June 1999	0	0	0
Immigration and Asylum Bill: Further consideration, 16 June 1999	13	1	0
Access to Justice Bill [Lords]: Consideration, 22 June 1999	0	0	0
Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Bill [Lords]: Consideration, 8 July 1999	0	0	0
Food Standards Bill: Consideration 22 July 1999	8	0	0
Session 1999-2000 (up to 30 June 2000)
Representation of the People Bill: Further consideration, 20 January 2000	0	0	0
Financial Services and Markets Bill: Further consideration, 9 February 2000	0	0	0
Transport Bill: Consideration, 9 May 2000	21	1	1
Transport Bill: Further consideration, 10 May 2000	9	2	0
Nuclear Safeguards Bill: Consideration, 22 May 2000	0	15	0
Sea Fishing Grants (Charges) Bill: Consideration, 22 May 2000	0	0	0
Royal Parks (Trading) Bill: Further consideration, 22 May 2000	0	1	0
Television Licences (Disclosure of Information) Bill: Consideration, 22 May 2000	0	3	0

Note:

Figures include amendments only selected for debate

(16) Standing Committee and Committee of the Whole House amendments are excluded. We have not distinguished between "Guillotine" and "Programme" motions.

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