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Minimum Income Guarantee

Mr. Michael J. Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners in (a) Worcester and (b) Mid Worcestershire quality for the Minimum Income Guarantee. [133767]

Mr. Rooker: There are around 2,200 pensioners in the parliamentary constituency of Worcester in receipt of the Minimum Income Guarantee and some 2,100 in Mid Worcestershire parliamentary constituency.

Source:

Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, February 2000.

Mr. Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners in The Wrekin qualify for the Minimum Income Guarantee. [133196]

Mr. Bayley: There are 2,100 pensioners in The Wrekin receiving the Minimum Income Guarantee.

Source:

Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, February 2000.

Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of (a) the number of pensioners who qualified for Income Support and did not take it up, in the most recent year for which figures are available and (b) the comparable figures for Minimum Income Guarantee. [133951]

Mr. Bayley: I will write to my hon. Friend.

Administrative Costs

Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the administrative costs were for (a) 1998-99, (b) 1999-2000 and (c) the current year to date as a proportion of the benefit delivered, of (i) state pensions, (ii) Income Support, (iii) Minimum Income Guarantee, (iv) the Social Fund and (v) disability benefits. [133950]

Angela Eagle: I will write to my hon. Friend.

Electronic Communications Act 2000

Mr. Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security 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. [133375]

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer from my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office today.

Exceptional Hardship Fund

Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications were made for Housing Benefit Exceptional Hardship Fund in (a) Greater London and (b) the London Borough of Enfield; what percentage were accepted and what was the expenditure in each case;

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how much was unspent in each case, for each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [133234]

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Angela Eagle: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is contained in the table.

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Exceptional hardship payments

	Number of awards for exceptional hardship payments	Total discretionary rent allowance expenditure (£)	Unspent discretionary rent allowance expenditure (£)	Percentage unspent
1995-96
Greater London Local Authorities	20	31,150	652,530	95
London Borough of Enfield	0	100	16,420	99
1996-97
Greater London Local Authorities	1,350	692,390	4,298,470	86
London Borough of Enfield	30	54,960	65,640	54
1997-98
Greater London Local Authorities	2,830	1,643,990	3,450,520	68
London Borough of Enfield	40	80,810	54,280	40
1998-99
Greater London Local Authorities	3,260	1,758,180	3,853,040	69
London Borough of Enfield	60	144,240	14,540	9

Note:

Figures are rounded to the nearest £10

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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Gibraltar

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions has he had with the Government of Spain on Gibraltar; and if he will list the subjects raised. [131163]

Mr. Vaz: I will write to my hon. Friend shortly and place a copy of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

Advisory Bodies

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all the (a) task forces, (b) action teams, (c) policy reviews and (d) other temporary advisory bodies with external members currently in existence within his Department; and on what date each body (i) was set up and (ii) is expected to terminate. [131454]

Mr. Robin Cook: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office gave on 27 July 2000, Official Report, column 799W.

Public Bodies

Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list each group that is responsible to his Department, with significant and plural membership from outside the Civil Service, and to which the Nolan rules on non-departmental public bodies do not apply; and for each such group, if it (a) is a company limited by guarantee, (b) is a charity, (c) has no formal legal basis and (d) has some other legal basis, giving details. [131177]

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Mr. Robin Cook [holding answer 18 July 2000]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, to the Cabinet Office, gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Eastwood (Mr. Murphy) on 27 July 2000, Official Report, column 799W.

Computer Disasters

Mr. Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the time it would take to get new computers running in the wake of a major computer disaster in his Department. [130968]

Mr. Battle [holding answer 19 July 2000]: In UK, contingency plans in place would allow the replacement of FCO computer and communications systems within one day in the wake of a major computer disaster. Overseas, the time taken would be one day plus the time to transport the system to the Post for most systems: for some (which are shortly to be replaced) the lead time would be two weeks. We have a range of communications options as continuous back-up.

European Parliament Building, Strasbourg

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the total British financial contribution to date to the building and equipping of the new European Parliament building in Strasbourg. [132108]

Mr. Vaz: I will write to my hon. Friend shortly and place a copy of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

British Indian Ocean Territory

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the financial arrangements are for the lease to the United States of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. [132427]

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Mr. Battle: No part of the British Indian Ocean Territory, including Diego Garcia, has been leased to the United States and no rent or similar payment is made in respect of their right to use the territory for defence purposes. However, in 1965 when it became clear that the costs of setting up the territory as a separate dependency would exceed original estimates, the US Government agreed to contribute £5 million towards these costs.

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department is funding a study to assess the feasibility of returning the indigenous population to Diego Garcia and the other Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean. [133271]

Mr. Battle: An initial study to consider the possibility of settlement on the outer islands only of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) has already been undertaken. It was funded by the Government of the BIOT. The funding of future stages is yet to be decided.

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the Interim report by Consultants on the feasibility of re-settling the northern atolls of the British Indian Ocean Territory. [133456]

Mr. Battle: I can confirm this has been done.

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to monitor the environment of the British Indian Ocean Territory on a regular basis following its commitment to treat the area with no less strict regard for natural heritage considerations than for places nominated as World Heritage sites. [133457]

Mr. Battle: The Government of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), who made this commitment, employs a Conservation Consultant who makes annual visits to the territory to assess the state of the environment and report to the Commissioner. The last such visit was in March 2000. The BIOT Government also employs fisheries consultants who likewise assess the state of the fishery. Additionally, it sponsors ad hoc environmental research projects.

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