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Pakistan

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations she has received on women's rights in Pakistan; and if she will make a statement. [103213]

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Clare Short: I have received no representations since my reply to the hon. Member's almost identical question on 10 November 1999, Official Report, column 555W. We regularly receive such representations and take every opportunity to ensure that the Pakistani authorities are aware of concerns. We take account of gender equality issues as a matter of course in our bilateral development assistance, which has focused upon reducing poverty and increasing basic rights and access to essential services--especially for women and girls.

TREASURY

Population Flows

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the annual population (a) inflow to and (b) outflow from the Government Office, North East Region; and what was migration between the Government Office North East Region and (i) other parts of the UK and (ii) other countries in each year from 1992 to 1998. [102810]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Jim Cousins, dated 20 December 1999:

As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question about the estimated in and outflows from and to the North East region.

The attached table presents the information you require. The estimates of internal population movements are based on the movement of NHS doctors' patients between the former Family Health Services Authority Areas. They should not be regarded as a perfect measure of migration as there is variation in the delay between a person moving and registering with a new doctor. Additionally, some moves may not result in a re-registration: for example, individuals may migrate again before registering with a doctor. Conversely, there may be others who move and re-register several times a year.

Moves between the individual Government Office Regions (GORs) of England and the rest of the United Kingdom are now published in Key Population and Vital Statistics, which is available in the House of Commons Library. Prior to 1997, the analysis related to moves within England and Wales only.

The estimates of international (external) migration are derived from the International Passenger Survey (IPS), a sample survey of passengers arriving at and departing from the main air, sea and Channel Tunnel routes. Estimates derived from the IPS are subject to both sampling and non-sampling error. Some types of migrants are not covered by the IPS as it does not cover routes between the UK and the Irish Republic, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. All movements of diplomats and armed forces personnel are also excluded, as are asylum seekers and visitor switchers--persons admitted as short-term visitors who are subsequently granted a stay for a year or longer. These estimates can be found in the publication International Migration, which is available in the House of Commons Library.

The following table shows total inflow and outflow (in thousands) to and from the North East Government Office Region: to and from the rest of the UK, and to and from outside the UK.

Migration to and from the North East Government Office Region, 1992-98 (Thousand)

	Total	Of which		Total	Of which
	Inflow	Internal	External	Outflow	Internal	External
Year	to the North East	from the rest of the UK	from other countries	from the North East	to the rest of the UK	to other countries
1992	46.6	40.3	6.3	45.4	40.1	5.3
1993	42.6	38.3	4.3	45.7	41.7	4.0
1994	42.7	37.1	5.6	48.2	43.5	4.7
1995	40.3	37.9	2.4	48.1	45.6	2.5
1996	41.7	38.6	3.1	48.7	44.5	4.2
1997	50.8	38.6	12.2	55.9	44.5	11.4
1998	48.0	41.5	6.5	49.2	45.5	3.7

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Ghana

Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what conditions connected with (a) Government and (b) economic development were placed on the Government of Ghana by (i) the IMF and (ii) the World Bank in the last five years. [101976]

Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 9 December 1999]: The conditions connected with Government and economic development which have been agreed between the Government of Ghana and the IMF and World Bank in the last five years are intended to promote policies that reduce poverty, promote structural reform, macroeconomic stability and support balanced growth. Conditions refer to agreed objectives to;

improve fiscal policies

enhance the effectiveness of monetary policy and accelerate financial sector reform

improve external debt management and trade policy

continue public sector reform

improve private sector development and economic competitiveness.

Other major objectives and conditions relate to the Government of Ghana's policies and commitments to implement agreed sector and cross sectoral reforms (e.g. in agriculture, environment, water, transportation, electricity, petroleum sector), to improve the quality and coverage of social services (education, health) and to reduce poverty.

Welsh Language

Mr. Denzil Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what, at the latest available date, was the proportion of people who said that they could speak Welsh in each of the counties of Wales. [102968]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Denzil Davies, dated 20 December 1999:

As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question on the proportion of people who said they could speak Welsh in Wales.

20 Dec 1999 : Column: 432W

The percentage of persons aged three and over speaking Welsh, extracted from the 1991 Census County Reports, for each of the former counties of Wales are:

Counties	Percentage
Clwyd	18.2
Dyfed	43.7
Gwent	2.4
Gwynned	61.0
Mid Glamorgan (Morgannwg Ganol)	8.5
Powys	20.2
South Glamorgan (De Morgannwg)	6.5
West Glamorgan (Gorllewin Morgannwg)	15.0

Copies of the 1991 Census County Reports are held in the House of Commons Library

Paris Club

Mr. Hopkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer under what terms of agreement the Paris Club of creditor countries operates; and if he will place a copy of such terms in the Library. [103397]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Paris Club has no formal terms of agreement. It is an informal and voluntary gathering of creditors who have agreed to treat in a coordinated way the debt due to them.

Correspondence

Sir Brian Mawhinney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the right hon. Member for North West Cambridgeshire will receive a reply to his letter of 11 October on behalf of his constituent Mr. Gent. [103083]

Mr. Andrew Smith: I have done so.

Sir Brian Mawhinney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the right hon. Member for North West Cambridgeshire will receive a reply to his letter of 26 October on behalf of Mr. Bastow. [103078]

Mr. Andrew Smith: I have done so.

Sir Brian Mawhinney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the right hon. Member for North West Cambridgeshire will receive a reply to his letter of 28 September on behalf of his constituent Mr. Walkinshaw. [103079]

Mr. Andrew Smith: I have done so.

Ministerial Meetings

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the names and designations of those who

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attended the meeting chaired by him on 9 December, involving representatives of Her Majesty's Government and the devolved administrations, to discuss combating poverty in the UK; and if he will publish the minutes of this and future such meetings. [103053]

Mr. Andrew Smith: Under paragraph A.11 of the agreement on the Joint Ministerial Committee (Cm 444), which has been agreed between the UK Government, the Scottish Executive and the Cabinet of the National Assembly of Wales, the proceedings of meetings of the Joint Ministerial Committee are regarded as confidential by participants, in order to permit free and candid discussion. As such minutes of JMC meetings will not be published.

Red Diesel

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's policy is in respect of passenger service vehicle operators who, having legally filled their vehicles with red diesel in Norway, have traces of red dye discovered in their fuel tanks by HM Customs and Excise in the United Kingdom. [103015]

Mr. Timms: The presence of any fiscal marker as listed in The Hydrocarbon Oil (Designated Markers) Regulations 1996 in the fuel tank of a road vehicle in the UK constitutes an offence under section 24A of the Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act 1979.

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