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"Work and Parents" Green Paper

Gillian Merron: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will provide a regulatory impact assessment for those measures that have been announced following the end of the consultation on the Green Paper, "Work and Parents: Competitiveness and Choice". [156754]

Mr. Byers: I am placing a partial regulatory impact assessment in the Library of the House for those measures which have been announced following the consultation on the Green Paper, "Work and Parents: Competitiveness and Choice". A full regulatory impact assessment will be published when the relevant legislation is presented to Parliament.

SOCIAL SECURITY

Foot and Mouth

Ms Rosie Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the action being taken by his Department to help people affected by the outbreak of foot and mouth disease. [156749]

Mr. Darling: My Department has taken urgent measures to ensure that benefit claims from people who have been affected by foot and mouth disease are dealt with quickly and sensitively.

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We are preparing an information sheet for people living in affected areas listing the benefits most likely to be available to them, the conditions of entitlement and giving examples of the evidence needed to support their claims to ensure they are completed as quickly as possible.

Jobseeker's Allowance, administered by the Benefits Agency, can help people whose normal work or business has been interrupted or who are workless. We have issued guidance to local Benefits Agency staff to remind them of the flexibilities in the benefit rules which are likely to apply to people making claims in affected areas. We are also giving local decision-makers direct access to specialist advice and guidance to ensure that any queries on claims are resolved without delay and are working closely with colleagues in the Employment Service.

Housing Benefit, administered by local councils, is available to help meet the housing costs of people who rent their homes and who are out of work or have insufficient earnings. Social Fund crisis loans are also payable under normal rules to prevent people in affected areas from suffering hardship. We have taken steps to ensure that sufficient funds to meet such need are available to Benefits Agency districts covering affected areas.

We are receiving regular progress reports from the Benefits Agency on benefit claims in affected areas and are keeping the position under close review.

Departmental Report

Ms Rosie Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when his Departmental report will be published. [156750]

Mr. Darling: The Social Security Departmental Report, which sets out the Department's expenditure plans for 2001-02 to 2003-04 and the Main Estimate for 2001-02, has been laid before Parliament. A copy has been placed in the Library.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Burma

Mrs. Fyfe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received concerning recent attacks upon Rohingya Muslims by Rakhine Buddhist extremists in Arakan State, Burma; and if he will make a statement. [155348]

Mr. Battle: I understand that the violence occurred in Northern Rakhine State, a remote part of Burma. Contacts with UNHCR and INGOs have confirmed reports that there was renewed violence in February 2001, which resulted in loss of life and destruction of homes. Intercommunal tension in Rakhine State is just one example of the suffering of the peoples of Burma. We will continue to press for change in Burma to bring about national reconciliation, full respect for human rights and a return to democracy.

Minister for Europe

Ms Rosie Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many overseas

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visits, and to which countries, the Minister for Europe has undertaken on official business since assuming his office. [156762]

Mr. Vaz: The information is in the table.

Overseas travel: Keith Vaz MP--Minister for Europe

Serial number	Dates	Location
01	14-15 October 1999	Tampere
02	18 October 1999	Hungary
03	19-20 October 1999	Warsaw
04	31 October--01 November 1999	Yerevan
05	08-09 November 1999	Paris
06	15-16 November 1999	Brussels
07	17 November 1999	Strasbourg
08	20-21 November 1999	Florence
09	23 November 1999	Luxembourg
10	09-11 December 1999	Helsinki
11	16-18 January 2000	Rome
12	19-20 January 2000	Athens
13	22 January 2000	Paris
14	24-25 January 2000	Brussels
15	30 January--05 February 2000	India
16	14 February 2000	Brussels
17	18 February 2000	Zagreb
18	28 February--01 March 2000	Washington
19	15-16 March 2000	Berlin
20	23-24 March 2000	Lisbon
21	29-30 March 2000	Brussels
22	10-11 April 2000	Luxembourg
23	15-16 May 2000	Porto
24	18-19 May 2000	Gibraltar
25	23 May 2000	Brussels
26	24-25 May 2000	Spain
27	25-26 May 2000	Lisbon
28	13 June 2000	Luxembourg
29	18-19 June 2000	Porto
30	04-05 July 2000	Malta
31	10 July 2000	Brussels
32	25-26 July 2000	Athens
33	05-06 September 2000	Slovenia
34	07 September 2000	The Hague
35	11-12 September 2000	Sweden
36	18 September 2000	Brussels
37	12-13 October 2000	Biarritz
38	18-19 October 2000	Italy
39	08 November 2000	Latvia
40	09 November 2000	Lithuania
41	19-20 November 2000	Brussels
42	28 November 2000	Slovakia
43	04 December 2000	Brussels
44	07-12 December 2000	Nice
45	15 December 2000	Brussels
46	22 January 2001	Brussels
47	24 January 2001	Prague
48	09 February 2001	Helsinki
49	22-23 February 2001	Stockholm
50	26 February 2001	Brussels
51	28 February 2001	Austria
52	14 March 2001	Cyprus
53	19 March 2001	Brussels
54	22-24 March 2001	Stockholm

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) of 20 March 2001, Official Report, column 112W, for what reason the responsibilities of the Minister for Europe were expanded to include entry clearance. [156355]

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Mr. Robin Cook: The Minister for Europe was asked to take on responsibility for entry clearance because he was the best man for the job. His stewardship of the portfolio since then has been an outstanding success, as has been recognised by many Members of this House. At home and overseas he has delivered a huge improvement in service. He eliminated the backlog of replies to Members' letters on entry clearance cases, and has achieved dramatic reductions in waiting times at overseas posts such as Islamabad.

Iraq (Export Controls)

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what goods subject to strategic export controls have been approved for export to Iraq in the last three months. [156755]

Mr. Battle: Following consultation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Trade and Industry recently approved licences to export 30 electronic exploder and four Hook and Line Kits, controlled under the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, as amended, to the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) for use in a humanitarian mine clearance programme in Northern Iraq under the UN Oil for Food Programme. The export of these goods to Iraq has been approved by the UN Sanctions Committee.

East Timor

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy on the deaths of newsmen in Balibo, East Timor in 1975. [156198]

Mr. Battle: The British Government continue to take an active interest in this case. When I met Sergio Vieira de Mello, Head of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), in London on 6 March, I asked him about the UN investigation into the deaths. Mr. de Mello confirmed that the UN police report had been submitted to Mr. Othman, the UN Prosecutor General, who has said that there are grounds to continue with the investigations but that the case is not yet ready for trial. We will continue to monitor developments closely.

Foot and Mouth

Sir Brian Mawhinney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) on what date (i) an official and (ii) a Minister from his Department first informed (a) an official and (b) a Minister in another EU member state that the UK had its first (1) suspected and (2) confirmed case in the foot and mouth disease outbreak; [156384]

(2) on what date (i) an official and (ii) a Minister in his Department first informed (a) an official and (b) a Commissioner in the European Commission that the UK had its first (1) suspected and (2) confirmed case in the foot and mouth disease outbreak. [156385]

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Mr. Vaz: The Government Chief Veterinary Officer confirmed the presence of foot and mouth on the night of 20 February. The Government were immediately in close contact with the European Commission and other member states. As lead Department, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has since then been in constant contact with European colleagues and the Commission. The FCO has supported through Embassies and Ministerial contacts. The Government have taken every step possible to protect our own industry and farming across Europe.

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