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Overseas Military Bases

Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total operating costs for all British overseas military bases less personnel costs were for the last year for which figures are available. [146090]

Mr. Spellar: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Arms Sales

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the system of prior scrutiny of arms sales in the United States and Swedish legislatures. [143693]

Mr. Foulkes [holding answer 21 December 2000]: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, on 21 December 2000, Official Report, column 338W.

Modernising Government

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much for each financial year from 1998-99 until the latest date for which sums have been allocated her Department has spent and expects to spend on the implementation of the modernising government White Paper. [143698]

Mr. Foulkes [holding answer 21 December 2000]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minster of State for the Cabinet Office on 21 December 2000, Official Report, column 245W.

Debt Relief

Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proposals she has to lift further the burden of debt from developing countries. [145917]

Mr. Foulkes: In 2000, 22 countries qualified for exceptional debt relief under the enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, exceeding the international target of 20 countries. This has resulted in over $50 billion in debt relief being agreed for these countries, which will reduce their debts by almost two thirds on average. We are continuing to work closely with the international community to secure the full implementation of the enhanced initiative, and hope that a number of other countries will qualify for relief this year. However, conflict is a major barrier to making substantial further progress.

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In December 2000, the Government announced a further step. Debt payments received from HIPC countries will be held in trust, and returned to countries for poverty reduction when they qualify for HIPC.

The United Kingdom has taken, and will continue to take, a lead in the international effort to lift the burden of debt from eligible developing countries.

Ministerial Travel

Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many flights including helicopter flights were taken by Ministers within her Department for UK and overseas visits in each year since 1995; on how many occasions (a) charter flights were used and (b) first and club class tickets obtained; and who accompanied the Ministers on each trip. [143866]

Mr. Foulkes: Ministers are under a duty to make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements. This Government have given a commitment to publish an annual list of visits overseas by Cabinet Ministers costing more than £500, as well as an annual figure on spend by all Ministers on overseas visits. The list for 1999-2000 was published on 28 July 2000, Official Report, column 969W.

Special Advisers

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what categories of submissions from civil servants to Ministers, other than those relating to (a) intelligence and (b) personnel matters, are not circulated to special advisers; [143800]

(2) what categories of submissions from civil servants are submitted to special advisers before being seen by Ministers. [143801]

Mr. Foulkes: Special advisers in this Department have access to material produced by permanent civil servants in accordance with paragraph 14e of the model contract for special advisers.

TREASURY

Special Shares

Mr. Duncan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what date he expects the Government to have redeemed all its special shares in non-defence-related, former nationalised companies. [145733]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The Government do not have a prescribed timetable for redeeming special shares in non-defence-related former nationalised companies.

Mr. Duncan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the criteria his Department uses to determine the speed, and order in which the Government redeems its special shares in former nationalised companies. [145734]

Mr. Andrew Smith: There are no set criteria to determine the speed and order in which the Government redeem their special shares. Each case is treated on its merits.

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Mr. Duncan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received concerning redemption of Government special shares in (a) BAA plc, (b) BAE Systems, (c) Belfast International Airport, (d) BG plc, (e) British Energy plc, (f) Cable & Wireless plc, (g) CDC plc, (h) Eurostar (UK) Ltd., (i) Inter-Capital and Regional Rail Ltd., (j) London and Continental Railways Ltd., (k) National Grid Group plc, (l) Pheonix Natural Gas Ltd., (m) PUK plc, (n) Rolls-Royce plc, (o) Scottish Power plc, (p) Scottish and Southern Energy plc, (q) Scena Line Ltd., (r) UK Nirex Ltd., (s) Viridian Group plc and (t) VSEL Ltd., respectively. [145732]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The Government consider all representations received concerning the redemption of Government special shares. Each representation is considered on its own merits. However, initial discussions between the Government and the respective organisations in these matters are commercially sensitive and could not be disclosed publicly.

Maastricht Criteria

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make available to hon. Members his report to the EU Commission on his assessment of the United Kingdom's ability to meet the Maastricht criteria. [145619]

Miss Melanie Johnson: There is no such report. However, a recent UK report made to the EU entitled "Delivering Economic Stability" was deposited in the Libraries of both Houses on 22 December 2000. This report is not an assessment of Britain's ability to meet the Maastricht criteria.

Vaccine Research

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made with his commitment to increase funds available for vaccine research into HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB for developing countries announced as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review. [145923]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Government--in consultation with the pharmaceutical industry and other stakeholders--are undertaking an urgent study into what can be done to promote research into vaccines for those diseases that particularly affect developing countries such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB. As announced in the pre-Budget report, the Treasury is looking at a range of tax options, focusing on creating the right incentives, as part of a wider review of the response to this global issue co-ordinated by the Performance and Innovation Unit.

Earnings Statistics

Mr. Grieve: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of workers on adult rates of pay in part-time employment have hourly earnings (a) including and (b) excluding overtime pay that are less than (i) £4.94, (ii) £6.58, (iii) £7.18 and (iv) £3.60 in (A) Scotland, (B) each of the unitary local authority areas in Scotland and (C) the UK, broken down by (1) male manual, (2) male non-manual, (3) all male workers, (4) female workers, (5) female non-manual, (6) all female workers, (7) all manual, (8) all non-manual and (9) all workers. [145666]

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

Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. Dominic Grieve, dated 17 January 2001:

The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question on hourly earnings for workers in Scotland, the unitary authorities in Scotland and the United Kingdom (145666). I am replying in his absence.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published estimates of the number of jobs paid at less than specific hourly low pay thresholds for all workers in the United Kingdom for Spring 2000, disaggregated by gender and full and part time. These estimates are based on an improved methodology using data from the New Earnings Survey (NES) and Labour Force Survey (LFS). This methodology provides the best estimates for the number of jobs in the UK paid below low hourly rate thresholds. These estimates are posted on the National Statistics website at: www.statistics.gov.uk/ themes/labour--market/nmw--lowpay--tables.asp.

The improved methodology has been developed to overcome the deficiencies inherent in the two surveys, the NES and the LFS, in measuring low pay. Estimates based on this methodology are not available for the areas and population sub-groups requested.

It is possible to produce estimates for the proportion of employee jobs earning within the specified hourly pay bands for smaller areas from the NES. However, the NES underestimates the number of low pay jobs since it does not provide a comprehensive picture of the lower end of the earnings distribution.

Mr. Moore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of workers on adult rates of pay in part-time employment have hourly earnings, including and excluding overtime pay, less than (i) £5.11, (ii) £6.82, (iii) £7.39 and (iv) £3.70 in (a) Scotland, (b) each of the unitary local authority areas in Scotland and (c) Great Britain, broken down by (1) male manual, (2) male non- manual, (3) all male workers, (4) female manual, (5) female non-manual, (6) all female workers, (7) all manual, (8) all non-manual and (9) for all workers. [145073]

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

Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. Michael Moore, dated 18 January 2001:

The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent questions on hourly earnings for workers in Scotland, the unitary authorities in Scotland and Great Britain (145073). I am replying in his absence.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published estimates of the number of jobs paid at less than specific hourly low pay thresholds for all workers in the United Kingdom for Spring 2000, and the number of jobs paid at less than National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates for Spring 2000, disaggregated by gender and full and part time. These estimates are based on an improved methodology using data from the New Earnings Survey (NES) and Labour Force Survey (LFS). This methodology provides the best estimates for the number of jobs in the UK paid below low hourly rate thresholds. These estimates are posted on the National Statistics website at: www.statistics.gov.uk/themes/labour--market/nmw--lowpay--tables.asp.

The improved methodology has been developed to overcome the deficiencies inherent in the two surveys, the NES and the LFS, in measuring low pay. Estimates based on this methodology are not available for the areas and population sub-groups requested.

It is possible to produce estimates for the proportion of employee jobs earning within the specified hourly pay bands for smaller areas from the NES. However, the NES underestimates the number of low pay jobs since it does not provide a comprehensive picture of the lower end of the earnings distribution.

18 Jan 2001 : Column: 303W

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