| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Civil Servants (Retirement Age)
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the compulsory retirement ages which apply to employees of her Department and of executive agencies and other public sector bodies for which it is responsible, broken down by grade or job title. [7237]
Clare Short: The Department has a normal retirement age of 60, regardless of grade or job title. The one exception is the three Security Guards who have a right to retire at age 65 in line with the terms of service of their previous employer, following their transfer to the Department under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981. The retirement age for the Senior Civil Service is determined by the Cabinet Office and is currently 60.
Angola
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the (a) humanitarian situation and (b) situation of children in Angola. [7429]
Clare Short: The humanitarian consequences of the continuing war in Angola are appalling. Children and other vulnerable groups bear the brunt of the suffering.
15 Oct 2001 : Column: 803W
There is some evidence that in those areas where there is good humanitarian access, malnutrition rates have eased recently, but this represents only temporary respite for a limited number. There remains a pressing need for a negotiated and inclusive end to the conflict. The UK has contributed £2.82 million this year to the humanitarian relief effort through UN agencies and NGO's as well as our contribution through the EC. We continue to monitor the situation through the UN, NGOs, the Red Cross societies, and by undertaking regular visits.
Weapons Eradication
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much money the UK has allocated to UN agencies for weapons eradication; and if she will make a statement. [7339]
Clare Short: My Department, with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence, are working to implement the Government's three-year £19.5 million strategy on small arms under our global conflict prevention pool. Under the auspices of the strategy the Government have been looking at ways of providing long-term support to UN agencies for comprehensive arms control and reduction measures, including weapons destruction. To date, we have committed £120,000 to the UN Regional Centre in Lima, Peru to assist in the practical implementation of regional and international agreements to combat illicit weapons trafficking. Also, under the strategy we are planning to commit £7.5 million to supporting the UN Development Programme in a global programme for weapons collection, management and destruction. The strategy will continue to look at areas where support for UN agencies will help to meet our objectives of reducing the number of lives affected by violent conflict through the uncontrolled availability of small arms and light weapons.
Departmental Properties
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the number, value and location of properties newly leased in each of the last five years by her Department, broken down by leases by the Department itself, its next step agencies and its non-departmental public bodies, differentiating between purchases made as a result of the creation of new bodies and those purchases made by established bodies. [7817]
Clare Short: My Department has taken on three buildings in London over the last five years. These are our new headquarters building at 1 Palace Street, London SW1 (our current building being planned for demolition) and two smaller offices at 20 Victoria Street, London SW1, and Glen House, Stag Place, London SW1.
The buildings are all leased, with the annual rent being as follows:
- 1 Palace Street: £4,456,450
- 20 Victoria Street: £250,000
- Glen House: £116,970.
No current valuation for the properties is available. We have no next steps agencies or NDPBs.
15 Oct 2001 : Column: 804W
Sub-Saharan Africa
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her policy is towards (a) the operation of NGOs in sub-Saharan Africa, (b) the substitution of western for local cultural norms by NGOs in sub-Saharan Africa and (c) NGOs promoting western concepts of the role of women in sub-Saharan Africa. [7204]
Clare Short: My Department works with civil society (including NGOs) in the UK and in sub-Saharan Africa to build the capacity of poor people so that their voices may be heard whenever decisions are taken locally, nationally and internationally that affect their lives.
Like most Governments in sub-Saharan Africa, we support the internationally agreed human rights framework. This provides a common set of principles for tackling poverty and inequality. These include the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and cultural entitlements.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Valetta Convention
Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what estimate has been made of the amount of funding required for projects unable to be conducted by volunteer archaeologists under the Valetta convention; [4243]
- (2) what consultations took place with local archaeological societies before the Government signed the Valetta convention; [4250]
(3) what provisions have been made for monitoring the impact of implementing the Valetta convention on the activities of local voluntary archaeological groups and societies; [4249]
(4) what groups will be consulted on the setting up of a register to implement article 3 of the Valetta convention; [4252]
(5) what consultations are planned, and with what groups, over the next 12 months on the implementation of the Valetta convention; [4248]
(6) what estimates have been made of the likely costs to public funds of implementing the Valetta convention; [4246]
(7) what timetable has been agreed for the implementation of article 3 of the Valetta convention. [4253]
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the Government's policy on and plans for the implementation of the Valetta Convention. [4462]
Dr. Howells: It is for each Government to apply the European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage (known as the Valetta Convention 1992) in ways that fit in with national practice and legislation. In broad terms, current measures in place in the UK already meet the convention's requirements. The Government do not believe that additional legislation, requiring a licensing system, is necessary to fulfil article 3.
15 Oct 2001 : Column: 805W
Much archaeological work is already controlled through existing mechanisms. In England, English Heritage will be taking forward consultations with appropriate bodies representing all parts of the archaeological community on any necessary improvements to the operation of existing systems of control and on the development of a voluntary Code of Conduct for those who wish to undertake archaeological work outside those existing systems. They will begin work on this during the autumn.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what measures she plans to put in place to enable amateur archaeologists to continue with their work without contravening Article 3 of the Valetta Convention; [4313]
- (2) what consultations are planned to develop appropriate procedures for the authorisation and supervision of future archaeological work in accordance with Article 3 of the Valetta Convention. [4312]
Dr. Howells [holding answer 16 July 2001]: It is for each Government to apply the European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage (known as the Valetta Convention 1992) in ways that fit in with national practice and legislation. In broad terms, current measures in place in the UK already meet the Convention's requirements. The Government do not believe that additional legislation, requiring a licensing system, is necessary to fulfil Article 3. Much archaeological work is already controlled through existing mechanisms. In England, English Heritage will be taking forward consultations with appropriate bodies representing all parts of the archaeological community on any necessary improvements to the operation of existing systems of control and on the development of a voluntary Code of Conduct for those who wish to undertake archaeological work outside those existing systems. They will begin work on this during the autumn.
Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment has been made of the implications of the Valetta Convention on archaeology for the licensed activities of metal detector groups. [4251]
Dr. Howells: The European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage (revised) (known as the Valetta Convention 1992) came into effect in the UK on 31 March 2001. The Explanatory Report on the Convention makes it clear that
- 'a State however, may only require mandatory reporting of finds of precious metal or on already listed sites'.
- 'prior authorisation of the use of metal detectors or "any other detection equipment" applies only to "archaeological investigation" and therefore not to the normal use of metal detectors'.
15 Oct 2001 : Column: 806W
Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment has been made of whether the provisions of the Valetta Convention would be in contravention of the Human Rights Act 1998. [4247]
Dr. Howells: The European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage (known as the Valetta Convention 1992) is one of a family of Council of Europe Conventions dealing with the protection of the historic environment. The Human Rights Act 1998 gives further effect in the UK to the rights guaranteed under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The Act itself does not have any force outside the UK, but clearly the ECHR does. Both the Valetta Convention and the ECHR are treaties of the Council of Europe with many of the same signatory states. We have no reason to believe that the two conventions are incompatible.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |