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Press Officers
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many press officers were employed in her Department in (a) May 1997, (b) January 1998, (c) January 1999 and (d) January 2000; and what the total expenditure on press officers by his Department was in each of the years concerned. [132760]
Mr. Foulkes: Detailed information on the number of press officers employed by the Department during the financial years 1997-98 and 1998-99 was provided in Appendix II of the report "The Government Information and Communications Service" (HC 770) published by the Select Committee on Public Administration (29 July 1998). Copies are available in the Library.
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As at January 2000, the Department employed three press officers. The cost of these press officers in the financial year 1999-2000 is estimated to have been £84,000.
Disabled People
Mr. Rowe: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she has taken to implement the issues paper on disability, poverty and development; and if she will require a disability equality checklist to be available before proposals are funded by her Department. [133107]
Mr. Foulkes: We have been supporting work on disability for a long time. The issues paper "Disability, Poverty and Development", has put this work on a more strategic footing. Published earlier this year (February 2000), it has been circulated to all our offices and will be an influence in the future development of country programmes. It recognises the importance of ensuring the full inclusion of people with disabilities in the fight against poverty. To achieve such an aim, we do not view disability equality checklists as the most appropriate tools, and will not be requiring their use.
Mr. Rowe: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many projects in support of disabled people and their organisations have been supported by her Department in 1999-2000; and at what cost. [133106]
Mr. Foulkes: It is not possible to provide the precise number or cost of all my Department's activities in support of disabled people and their organisations. We support disabled people in a number of ways. In 1999-2000, almost £800,000 was spent on 26 projects thorough a joint funding scheme with non-governmental organisations. Additionally there are many initiatives at country level which either specifically target the needs of disabled people or incorporate their concern in wider development projects.
Reports
Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the reports submitted to her Department, by bodies that were created after May 1997 and that include significant and plural membership from outside the Civil Service, stating in each case the body writing the report, the date the report was submitted, how many recommendations were made, the number of those recommendations that have been implemented to date and the number of recommendations that have been rejected; and if she will make a statement. [133563]
Mr. Foulkes: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Eastwood (Mr. Murphy) by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 27 July 2000, Official Report, column 799-800W.
I also refer the hon. Member to the first central list of information that was published on 11 January 2000. Copies of the list are available in the Libraries of the House.
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The detailed information requested about the numbers of recommendations made and the number rejected is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
Unilateral Debt Cancellation
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much additional funding she estimates will be provided for the United Kingdom's unilateral debt cancellation initiative between 2000 and 2003. [133429]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.
Under the UK's policy of 100 per cent. debt forgiveness once countries have reached decision point under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, they can immediately stop making payments on all their debts outstanding to the UK Government.
So far nine countries have reached their decision point, of which eight owed money to the UK. For these countries all payments to the UK Government have already ceased. In total the debt relief to these countries afforded by the HIPC initiative and the Government's 100 per cent. debt relief policy will add up to £241 million.
A further 11 countries are expected to reach decision point by the end of 2000. If they did the total amount that the UK Government would be writing off for these 20 countries would be £659 million. The total due for payment between 2000 and 2003 depends entirely on how quickly countries reach decision point, and hence how many benefit from the UK's policy of 100 per cent. debt relief.
WALES
Departmental Travelling Costs
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his Department's budget for the current financial year for Ministers' chauffeurs and travelling costs. [132790]
Mr. Paul Murphy: There is no specific budget for Ministerial travel costs as such, because this expenditure is demand led, but a sum of £150,000 has been set aside to cover all Ministerial travelling costs in 2000-01.
Electronic Communications Act 2000
Mr. Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what orders he (a) has made and (b) intends to make using section 8 of the Electronic Communications Act 2000; and if he will make a statement. [133372]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given earlier today by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office.
Reports
Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the reports submitted to his Department, by bodies that were created after May 1997 and that include significant and plural membership from outside the Civil Service, stating in each case the body writing the report, the date the report was submitted, how many recommendations were made, the number of those
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recommendations that have been implemented to date and the number of recommendations that have been rejected; and if he will make a statement. [133556]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 27 July 2000 by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, Official Report, column 799-800W, advising that an updated list of information on such bodies is being placed in the Libraries of the House. The original list of information was published on 11 January 2000, and copies are available in the Libraries of the House.
Information about the number of recommendations made, the number implemented, and the number rejected, could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
PRIME MINISTER
Government Buildings
Mr. Baker: To ask the Prime Minister (1) what was the total recorded expenditure by the Cabinet Office for 1999-2000; and what is the anticipated expenditure for 2000-01 on (a) maintaining, (b) decorating and (c) otherwise improving 10 Downing Street; [125886]
- (2) what the total cost of works was for each year since 1 May 1997 carried out to (a) 10 Downing Street, (b) 11 Downing Street, (c) Admiralty House flats, (d) Carlton Gardens and (e) Government House in Pimlico, broken down in respect of (i) kitchens, (ii) bathrooms, (iii) carpets, (iv) wallpaper, (v) other furnishings, (vi) other decoration, (vii) repairs and renewals and (viii) other expenditure. [133437]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 13 June 2000]: I refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave him on 11 November 1999, Official Report, column 783W where I provided information on expenditure in the 1999-2000 financial year up to end October 1999. For the period November 1999 to end March 2000 expenditure was £227,000. Expenditure to date in the current financial year is £33,000.
Economic and Monetary Union
Mr. Gill: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the answer of 17 May 2000 from the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Miss Johnson), Official Report, column 185W, if the decision to implement a national changeover plan was taken in Cabinet. [129755]
The Prime Minister: [holding answer 7 July 2000]: It is established practice under section 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information not to disclose information relating to proceedings of Cabinet.
Public Bodies
Mr. Allan: To ask the Prime Minister how many and what percentage of the (a) paid and (b) unpaid appointments which he has made to non-departmental public bodies since 1 May 1997 were women. [129838]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 11 July 2000]: Since 1997 I have made 149 appointments to non- departmental bodies of whom 58 were women. Of these 10 (14.9 per cent.) women were paid and 48 (31 per cent.) women unpaid.
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