---

CFS/ME Working Group

Mr. Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress made to date by the CFS/ME working group and its sub-groups. [159560]

Yvette Cooper: The chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis working group, supported by a sub group looking at children's issues and a wider reference group is making good progress. The working group has completed its year long scoping exercise and work is currently under way on the drafting of the final report.

Children's Rights Director

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who the Children's Rights Director is; and what the terms of reference for the post are. [159562]

Mr. Hutton: Provision is made in Schedule 1 of the Care Standards Act 2000 for the functions of the Children's Rights Director to be prescribed by regulation. We plan to publish draft regulations covering the work, key tasks and responsibilities of the Children's Rights Director for consultation in the near future. The Children's Rights Director position has been advertised. An appointment will be made later this year.

Hepatitis C

Mr. O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which Minister has responsibility for the policy issue of haemophilia patients infected by NHS products with hepatitis C. [159764]

Ms Stuart [holding answer 30 April 2001]: The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, has this responsibility.

1 May 2001 : Column: 576W

PRIME MINISTER

Royal Family

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the occasions in the past two years when he attended (a) official and (b) other meetings with members of the Royal Family. [159954]

The Prime Minister: With the exception of those occasions when Her Majesty has not been in London or I have been abroad or in Northern Ireland, I have been received in audience on the usual weekly basis since May 1997. I meet other members of the Royal Family on a regular basis.

Foot and Mouth

Mr. Jack: To ask the Prime Minister if he will hold a public inquiry into the foot and mouth outbreak once it is concluded; and if he will make a statement. [159844]

The Prime Minister: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Tonbridge and Malling (Sir J. Stanley) on 5 April 2001, Official Report, column 251W.

Special Advisers

Mr. Evans: To ask the Prime Minister how many special advisers worked at 10 Downing Street from 1997 to date. [160038]

The Prime Minister [holding answer 1 April 2001]: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell (Mr. Taylor), on 28 July 2000, Official Report, columns 971-74W. James Purnell, Geoff Mulgan and Phil Murphy are no longer employed as special advisers. Roz Preston, Pat McFadden, Tim Allan, Lance Price, and Dr. Iain Anderson left their appointments before 24 July 2000.

Mr. Evans: To ask the Prime Minister what was the combined cost of employing special advisers at 10 Downing Street from 1997 to date. [160047]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given him by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet office today.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Kensington Palace

Mr. Alan Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his answer of 26 April 2001, Official Report, column 336W, how many bedrooms and living rooms make up the apartment at Kensington Palace occupied by Prince Michael of Kent; on what date he started making a contribution to the cost of maintenance; for what reason he was granted the apartment; and if he is allowed to conduct business from these premises. [159958]

Mr. Alan Howarth: The apartment occupied by Prince Michael of Kent has seven bedrooms and nine reception rooms. He started making a contribution to the cost of maintenance with effect from 1 April 1994. No reasons are documented for the granting of the licence. No commercial business is conducted from the apartment.

1 May 2001 : Column: 577W

(Prince Michael's commercial activities are conducted from offices in Oxfordshire.) Prince Michael does carry out charitable work at Kensington Palace and receives invitations and correspondence there as a member of the Royal Family.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Israel

12. Mr. Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Israel and the occupied territories. [158619]

16. Mrs. Ann Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in Israel and the occupied territories. [158624]

18. Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in Israel and the occupied territories. [158627]

21. Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Israel and the occupied territories. [158630]

28. Sir Sydney Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about peace initiatives in the middle east. [158637]

35. Mr. Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on prospects for peace in the middle east. [158645]

Mr. Wilson: Despite continuing contacts in the region over the weekend, the situation remains grim. It is essential to restore a political process leading to an agreement based on United Nations Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338, the principle of "land for peace", security for Israel within recognised borders and an end to occupation. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I have been directly engaged with all the parties to encourage an end to violence and a return to the negotiating table.

Sierra Leone

14. Mr. Wells: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the role of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Sierra Leone. [158621]

Mr. Wilson: The main objectives of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) are to assist the Government of Sierra Leone in their efforts to extend their authority and to restore law and order progressively throughout the entire country. UNAMSIL is also tasked with assisting the Sierra Leone Government in promoting a renewed democratic political process, which should lead, in due course, to the holding of free and fair elections.

We fully support UNAMSIL's efforts to help the people of Sierra Leone in their search for lasting peace and stability. This reflects our commitment both to Sierra Leone and to UN peacekeeping in general.

1 May 2001 : Column: 578W

China (Human Rights)

15. Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to meet President Jiang Zemin to discuss the human rights situation in China. [158622]

Mr. Battle: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no current plans to meet President Jiang Zemin.

We seek to discuss our concerns about the human rights situation in China through the UK/China Human Rights Dialogue process and during ministerial level contacts with Chinese Ministers. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed human rights in depth with Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan when they met in New York on 12 September.

Drugs

17. Mr. Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the role of his Department in combating the international drugs trade. [158625]

Mr. Battle: This Government are at the forefront of international efforts to combat the drugs trade. Our aim, as stated in the 10-year drugs strategy, is to halve the availability on UK streets of those Class A drugs which cause the greatest harm, particularly heroin and cocaine, by 2008. The FCO continues co-ordinate the international elements of this strategy.

We are active in international drugs forums to strengthen the global policy framework for tackling the illegal drugs trade, including in the EU, UN and the G8. As members of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, we continue to play a leading role in pressing for improved management of the UN International Drugs Control Programme. In June the FCO is organising an international conference on the Global Economy of Illegal Drugs--an initiative by the Prime Minister at the G8 Summit in Okinawa last year.

Our programme of counter-drugs assistance overseas is directed at key producer and transit countries. In the last financial year we provided bilateral assistance for law enforcement capacity building and anti-money laundering trading in Iran, UAE, Colombia, Bolivia, the Caribbean, Croatia and Slovenia. And, multilaterally through the UN, we helped to fund drugs crops surveys in Afghanistan and Bolivia, law enforcement co-operation in S.E. Europe and Iran, and demand reduction projects in Iran and Turkey.

---