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CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Wembley Stadium

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his Department's role is in the new Wembley project. [157318]

Kate Hoey [holding answer 6 April 2001]: The Wembley project is primarily a matter for the FA and Wembley National Stadium Ltd. Clearly, the Department takes a close interest in the situation regarding the

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stadium, not least because of the National Lottery element of its funding. The Department is also helping the efforts of the Wembley Task Force to regenerate the area surrounding the stadium.

Ministerial Visit (Spain)

Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost was to public funds of the Minister for Sport's recent visit to Spain. [158899]

Kate Hoey: £427.

Prince Michael

Mr. Alan Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what accommodation within the occupied royal palaces is allocated to Prince Michael of Kent and his staff; on what basis the rent is determined; on what basis rent is updated; when he first occupied this accommodation; by how much it has increased to its current level; and what other costs he incurs. [159153]

Mr. Alan Howarth: Prince Michael of Kent occupies an apartment at Kensington Palace. No staff are provided with residential accommodation. When Prince Michael was granted his licence to occupy the apartment in 1979 it was on a rent-free basis. However, he makes a £3,500 contribution each year towards the cost of maintenance. The contribution is increased in line with inflation. All utility costs are paid by Prince Michael.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Sittings (Costs)

Mr. Bermingham: To ask the President of the Council what the cost is for each 15 minute period the House sits after 10 pm. [157751]

Mr. Kirkwood: It has been estimated that in a typical full year the cost of the House sitting after 10 pm is some £750,000. The average cost per night is around £10,000.

The main costs associated with late night sittings arise from allowances to staff, overtime for staff of the House and the Metropolitan police, and late night transport.

It would not be meaningful to break these cots down by 15 minute increments after 10 pm.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Bercow: To ask the President of the Council how many hon. Members have asked Parliamentary Questions requesting statistical information on the effects of Government policy since May 1997 pertaining (a) to their own constituency and (b) to the constituency of another hon. Member; at what cost in each case; and if she will make a statement. [158329]

Mrs. Beckett: The Library of the House has confirmed that it is not possible to extract this information from the POLIS databases but I can say that no such questions have been tabled to me.

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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Cocoa

Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with (a) cocoa importers and (b) UK-based chocolate manufacturers on the working conditions of those who produce the crop in the country of origin. [158966]

Mr. Wilson: The UK is firmly committed to eradicating slavery and bonded labour worldwide. I have spoken to the Biscuit, Cake, Chocolate and Confectionery Alliance. My Department has also been in touch with the Cocoa Association. Both assured us they were addressing the issues of child and slave labour in cocoa production. We are looking at ways we can work together to increase this effort and further meetings will be held in the future.

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Biscuit, Cake, Chocolate and Confectionary Alliance regarding the issue of slavery in West African cocoa plantations; and if he will make a statement. [158980]

Mr. Wilson: The UK is firmly committed to eradicating slavery and bonded labour worldwide. I have spoken to the Biscuit, Cake, Chocolate and Confectionery Alliance, who assured me they were determined to address the issues of child and slave labour in the production of cocoa. We are looking at ways we can work together to increase this effort and further meetings will be held in the future.

Child Employment and Slavery

Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what monitoring of child employment and slavery is undertaken by UK representatives in (a) Benin, (b) Nigeria, (c) Cameroon, (d) Senegal, (e) the Ivory Coast and (f) Ghana; and if he will make a statement on Government policy in this respect. [158967]

Mr. Battle: The UK is firmly committed to eradicating slavery and bonded labour worldwide. The UK played a leading role in drafting and securing agreement to the International Labour Convention 182 on the worst forms of Child Labour, which in West Africa has been ratified by Chad, Central African Republic, Gabon, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo. The UK closely monitors the human rights situation in the region. We are working with international and non-governmental organisations to address the problem of child slavery, and are looking at what more we can do to increase these efforts.

Chagos Islands

Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have been held with the USA concerning the possible return to Diego Garcia of the former residents and their descendents on the Chagos Islands. [158969]

Mr. Battle: The High Court judgment concerning possible resettlement in the British Indian Ocean Territory, though not specifically in Diego Garcia, has

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naturally been discussed in our regular talks with the American authorities about the use of the Territory for defence purposes.

Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions have been held with the Government of Mauritius concerning the future sovereignty of the Chagos Islands. [158968]

Mr. Battle: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has made clear both in a letter to the Mauritian Foreign Minister and during a meeting in January this year, that the UK will continue to maintain sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, but that when they are no longer needed for defence purposes, we will be willing to cede them to Mauritius subject to the requirements of international law.

Libya

Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what requests he has received to undertake a judicial inquiry into the circumstances regarding United Kingdom participation into the bombing of Libya in 1986. [158974]

Mr. Wilson: Neither the Foreign Secretary nor I have received a request for a judicial inquiry into this matter.

China

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the EU's reasons for not co-sponsoring a resolution on China at the 57 UN Commission for Human Rights. [157449]

Mr. Battle: EU unity is important to make our policy of critical dialogue with China as effective as possible. We have placed high importance on achieving such unity since the US began sponsoring resolutions on China at the Commission on Human Rights in 1999.

EU Foreign Ministers agreed at the General Affairs Council, on 19 March, not to co-sponsor the US resolution on China at the UN Commission on Human Rights, but to strengthen the EU common position by actively lobbying against the expected Chinese no-action motion, for the first time since 1996.

EU Foreign Ministers agreed to actively continue the policy of critical dialogue on human rights issues with China--an approach they believed would have been affected detrimentally by co-sponsoring the resolution. They made it clear, however, that further continuation of the dialogue would depend on progress being achieved on the ground. EU Foreign Ministers agreed to assess the results of the dialogue on a regular basis.

Entry Clearance

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 30 March 2001, Official Report, column 797W, on entry clearance, for what reasons he judged the Minister for Europe the best man for the job; what (a) qualifications, (b) experience and (c) qualities to take into consideration; which other Ministers he considered; and if he will make a statement. [158357]

Mr. Robin Cook: I have nothing to add to my previous answer.

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Turkey

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had on human rights in Turkey; and if he will make a statement. [158734]

Mr. Vaz: We remain concerned about Turkey's human rights record. I have not had any recent discussions on human rights in Turkey, but we regularly raise concerns about specific human rights cases at senior official level with the Turkish authorities. We continue to closely monitor the human rights situation in Turkey. In addition, the issue forms a regular part of the dialogue between Turkey and the European Union, and will be on the agenda for the meeting between EU and Turkish Political Directors on 26 April.

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