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Film Industry
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what public funds were provided for the production and distribution of the film "Enigma". [10229]
Dr. Howells: No public funds were provided for the production or distribution of the film "Enigma".
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funds she provides for the distribution of UK-produced films in the UK. [10230]
Dr. Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 18 October 2001, Official Report, column 1287W.
Terrorism
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much she forecasts will be spent in the current year by her Department as a direct result of measures associated with the war on terrorism. [10619]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 26 October 2001]: The Department does not expect to have any additional costs as a direct result of measures associated with the war on terrorism. However, I have been co-ordinating work to ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place in the UK to support the families of victims of the events of 11 September.
SOLICITOR-GENERAL
Racial Hatred
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Solicitor-General how many successful prosecutions for incitement of racial hatred there have been. [9967]
The Solicitor-General: Records for prosecutions for incitement of racial hatred under part III of the Public Order Act 1986 have been kept only since 1988. Since then 42 defendants have been successfully prosecuted under the provisions of the Act. The number of applications for consent to prosecute for each year since 1988, the number of prosecutions arising and the convictions obtained are as summarised.
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| Number of applications for Attorney General consent(6) | Withdrawn | Not granted | Prosecuted | Convicted(7) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 3 | — | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 1989 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| 1990 | 2 | — | — | 2 | 2 |
| 1991 | 4 | — | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 1992 | 5 | — | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 1993 | 2 | — | — | 2 | 2 |
| 1994 | 2 | — | — | 2 | 2 |
| 1995 | 8 | 1 | — | 7 | 6 |
| 1996 | 13 | — | 1 | 12 | 9 |
| 1997 | 12 | — | 2 | 10 | 9 |
| 1998 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 |
| 1999 | 4 | — | — | 4 | 3 |
| 2000 | 5 | — | — | 5 | (8)2 |
| 2001(9) | 7 | — | — | 7 | (10)— |
(6) Per defendant
(7) Not necessarily in the same year
(8) Two results outstanding
(9) To date
(10) Results awaited
WALES
Economy
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he has taken to offset the effect in Wales of the worldwide economic slowdown. [9262]
Mr. Paul Murphy: The Government's economic policy of low inflation, sound public finances and steady growth means that Wales should be well placed to withstand worldwide fluctuations in economic cycles.
The block grant for Wales that I negotiated with the Treasury last year allows the National Assembly to match fund objective 1 programmes and, more recently, I have worked closely with colleagues in the Department of Trade and Industry and in the National Assembly to help fund and support areas affected by steel closures.
I will continue to work closely with my colleagues in Government and in the National Assembly to ensure that Wales has the opportunity to build on the stable foundations laid by the Government's economic policy.
Secondments
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many secondments there were from his Department to a business in the private sector; how many secondments there have been from the private sector to his Department in each of the last five years; and if he will provide a list of the companies involved and the location of the companies. [8346]
Mr. Paul Murphy: Since 1 July 1999, my Department's staff have been seconded from the National Assembly for Wales and have access to the full range of development opportunities offered to Assembly employees, including secondment to businesses in the private sector. Given this arrangement, it is not practicable to attribute individual outward secondments to the Wales Office. There have been no inward secondments from the private sector to the Wales Office.
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Central records of secondments to and from the former Welsh Office are available only from January 1998. Between that date and 30 June 1999, there was one outward secondment to the New Millennium Company, which commenced in September 1998 and one inward secondment from King Sturge, which commenced in December 1998. Specific locations have not been recorded.
Departmental Account Payments
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the measures his Department is taking to improve its record in the prompt payment of accounts, with special reference to small contractors and suppliers. [11122]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I have already taken measures which have resulted in 97 per cent. to 98 per cent. of our bills being paid on time over the last few months.
My Department's bills are paid by the National Assembly for Wales under a service level agreement; I will ensure that the present standard is maintained.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Bangladesh
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her policy is towards (a) the operation of non-governmental organisations in Bangladesh, (b) NGOs promoting western concepts of the role of women in Bangladesh and (c) the substitution of western for local cultural norms by NGOs in Bangladesh. [7203]
Clare Short: The UK Government do not have a general policy towards NGOs in Bangladesh. My Department works with a number of NGOs to help advance a range of our objectives, as set out in our published Country Strategy Paper for Bangladesh.
One of these objectives is improvements in the position of women in society. DFID's overall strategy is set out in a published paper on 'Poverty Elimination and the Empowerment of Women'. In accordance with that strategy we work with NGOs and the Government of Bangladesh to help implement Bangladesh's international commitments.
The UK Government do not promote any particular policy on cultural norms in Bangladesh. The majority of our funding to NGOs in Bangladesh goes to indigenous Bangladeshi organisations. Most of these have a commitment to internationally recognised human rights including women's equality.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Summer Recess (Departmental Publications)
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) press notices and (b) consultation documents were issued by his Department during the summer recess. [9232]
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Mr. Straw [holding answer 23 October 2001]: (a) The news department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office issued 78 press releases during the parliamentary recess. This figures includes the daily bulletin of ministerial engagements.
(b) No consultation documents were issued during the period 20 July to 15 October.
British Council
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on changes to the budget for the British Council between 1997 and 2001. [9971]
Mr. MacShane: In 1997–98 the British Council received grant-in-aid from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of £96 million and £30 million from DFID. Subsequently the DFID grant-in-aid was transferred to the FCO, which provided some £127 million in 1998–99, £133 million in 1999–2000 and £137 million in 2000–01. Under the current Spending Review settlement the British Council is receiving £143 million in 2001–02, £151 million in 2002–03 and £159 million in 2003–04.
Weapons of Mass Destruction
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which laws prohibit the use, production, possession and transfer of nuclear, chemical, biological and radiological materials which could be used as weapons of mass destruction; and if he will make a statement. [9904]
Mr. Bradshaw: The specific legislation which applies to weapons of mass destruction, in addition to the general criminal law of the United Kingdom, is as follows:
- The Chemical Weapons Act 1996 prohibits the use, development, production, possession and transfer of chemical weapons, and preparations of a military nature to use such weapons. Chemical weapons are defined as including toxic chemicals and their precursors, except where used for permitted purposes. Permitted purposes are peaceful purposes, purposes related to protection against toxic chemicals, legitimate military purposes, and purposes of enforcing the law;
The Biological Weapons Act 1974 prohibits the development, production, stockpiling, acquisition or retention of any biological agent or toxin of a type and in a quantity that has no justification for prophylactic, protective or other peaceful purposes. "Biological agent" means any microbial or other biological agent; and "toxin" means any toxin, whatever its origin or method of production;
- The Radioactive Substances Act 1993 prohibits the possession of radioactive material (including nuclear material) less exempt quantities outside a licensed nuclear site without an authorisation;
The Nuclear Installations Act 1965 prohibits the separation of plutonium or the enrichment of uranium without a permit and certain large scale nuclear activities without a nuclear site licence;
The Nuclear Material (Offences) Act 1983 relates to certain offences involving nuclear material;
The Nuclear Explosions (Prohibitions and Inspection) Act 1998 will make it an offence knowingly to cause a nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion, except in the course of
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- an armed conflict. This Act is not yet in force, since it is intended to give effect to certain provisions of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty which is yet to enter into force;
The Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 allows regulations to be made relating to the safety/security of radioactive material. Radioactive material other than nuclear material cannot be used to construct a weapon of mass destruction;
Other health and safety regulations are also relevant in requiring certain procedures and safeguards over the use, storage and transport of hazardous materials which will contribute to containing the risk of their misuse as weapons of mass destruction;
- Export of nuclear, chemical and biological and radioactive goods is controlled by the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, as amended, Council Regulation (EC) No. 1334/2000, as amended and the Dual-Use Items (Export Control) Regulations 2000, as amended.
Provisions relating to these matters will be included in the Emergency Anti-Terrorism Bill.
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