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Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will take steps to improve the response time to parliamentary questions. [47710]

Mr. Paul Murphy: In its response to the Public Administration Select Committee's Second Report of Session 2000–01 on Ministerial Accountability and Parliamentary Questions, the Government made clear its commitment to providing prompt and accurate answers to parliamentary questions.

Apprentice Training

Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he had with (a) the First Secretary of the National Assembly and (b) the Secretary of State for Defence regarding apprentice training at Aberporth, Ceredigion since 22 February. [47753]

Mr. Paul Murphy: I have had numerous discussions with Defence Ministers and the Assembly First Minister about this issue since 22 February. On 8 April 2002, the First Minister and I met with representatives of QinetiQ and ELWa to discuss the company's future training plans for Aberporth.

10 Apr 2002 : Column 9W

Underspend

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the (a) capital and (b) revenue underspend in his Department is expected to be in the financial year 2001–02. [47802]

Mr. Paul Murphy: Estimated outturn figures for 2001–02 will be available after the Budget on 17 April.

Television

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the number of subscriptions to (a) digital terrestrial, (b) digital satellite and (c) digital cable television held by his Department for services in any departmental building from which Ministers work, stating for each subscription its (i) cost and (ii) purpose. [48347]

Mr. Paul Murphy: My Department has one digital satellite subscription at Gwydyr house. It allows Ministers to view Welsh TV channels when in London. It also gives access to the parliamentary channel.

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the (a) number and (b) total cost of television licences paid for by his Department. [48346]

Mr. Paul Murphy: My Department pays for one licence.

PRIME MINISTER

Terrorism

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the Cabinet committees and sub-committees responsible for policy on combating terrorism and ensuring appropriate public protection. [47665]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Watford (Ms Ward) on 7 March 2002, Official Report, column 486W.

Overseas Visits

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the overseas missions undertaken on his behalf since 7 June by (a) Lord Levy and (b) the right hon. Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Mandelson), listing in each case (i) persons and places visited, (ii) the reason for the visits and (iii) the cost to public funds. [8774]

The Prime Minister: Pursuant to my reply of 23 October 2001, Official Report, columns 142–43W, I regret that due to an administrative error the information provided was incorrect.

The appointment of my right hon. Friend the Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Mandelson) as Chairman of the UK-Japan 21st Century Group was not made by me. The Group is an independent organisation, which exists to strengthen ties between Britain and Japan. It is largely funded by subscriptions from its corporate members. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has in recent years made an annual contribution of £4,000 to the Group. The post of Chairman of the Group is a part-time and unpaid appointment.

10 Apr 2002 : Column 10W

Phase Three Implementation

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 25 March 2002, Official Report, column 619W, if he will include the environment in his priorities for Phase Three. [47613]

The Prime Minister: As I made clear in my speech "Environment, The Next Steps" last year, I want environmental issues to occupy a central part of the British Government agenda in the coming years.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Prime Minister if he will take steps to improve the response time to parliamentary questions. [47708]

The Prime Minister: In its response to the Public Administration Select Committee's Second Report of Session 2000–01 on Ministerial Accountability and Parliamentary Questions, the Government made clear their commitment to providing prompt and accurate answers to parliamentary questions. This continues to be the Government's position.

Property Protection

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Prime Minister what new measures his office took in 2001–02 to protect its property from theft or damage. [47252]

The Prime Minister: Appropriate measures to maintain the security and integrity of my office are in place and regularly reviewed. It is not our practice to give details.

Part-time Employees

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Prime Minister how many and what proportion of the staff of his office are part-time employees. [47241]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office today.

Ministerial Travel

Mr. Burns: To ask the Prime Minister how many times he has travelled abroad at taxpayers' expense since March 2001; what countries he visited; and what the total cost of each visit was. [47117]

The Prime Minister: The information requested is included in the detailed list of Cabinet Ministers' visits overseas and information on expenditure by all Ministers on travel overseas. The list for the period 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002 will be published as soon as possible after the end of the current financial year.

All travel is undertaken fully in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

Special Advisers

Mr. Burns: To ask the Prime Minister how many special advisers there were at No. 10 Downing street; and what their salaries were in each of the last five years. [46958]

10 Apr 2002 : Column 11W

The Prime Minister: There are 27 special advisers in my office.

Details of individual special adviser salaries within Departments are not given in order to protect the privacy of the individual concerned. The total cost of special advisers, including pensions and salaries, for the years 1997–98 to 2000–01 is as follows:

Year	Cost (£ million)
1997–98	2.6
1998–99	3.5
1999–2000	4.0
2000–01	4.4

I have already announced the introduction of a revised pay system for special advisers based on individual job evaluation. The process of evaluation is under way. The cost for the years 2001–02 will be provided once the process is complete.

Mr. Burns: To ask the Prime Minister how many times special advisers have accompanied him on overseas visits in each of the last five years; which countries were visited; and what the total cost of each individual visit was. [47148]

The Prime Minister: Information on the number of officials accompanying me on overseas visits is included in the detailed list of Cabinet Ministers' visits overseas and information on expenditure by all Ministers on travel overseas. Lists of overseas visits undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing more than £500 during the period 2 May 1997 to 31 March 2001 were placed in the Library of the House and published in the Official Report on 17 June 1999, columns 196–97W; on 28 July 2000, column 969W; and on 20 July 2001, column 467W. The list for the period 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002 will be published as soon as possible after the end of the current financial year.

Press Office

Mr. Burns: To ask the Prime Minister what the total cost of running his press office was in (a) 1996–97 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available. [46813]

The Prime Minister: The total cost of running the No. 10 press office for 1996–97 was £597,240, and for 2000–01 was £954,659. The increase reflects the ever increasing media demands with the advent of more outlets, 24 hour news and growth of the internet, for example.

Mr. Burns: To ask the Prime Minister how many press officers there were in No. 10 Downing street on (a) 1 May 1997 and (b) the latest available date. [46880]

The Prime Minister: At 1 May 1997, there were nine press officers, and at 31 March 2002, there were 10 press officers on the payroll of No. 10, and one on secondment from FCO.

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