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Emmanuel College, Gateshead

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to ask Ofsted to carry out a full inspection of Emmanuel College Gateshead. [53127]

Mr. Timms: My right hon. Friend has no plans to ask HM Chief Inspector to inspect Emmanuel City Technology College.

Medical Degrees

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many medical degree places were offered by higher education institutions in each year since 1997. [53259]

Margaret Hodge: The available information is given in the table.

Planned intake of pre-clinical medical students to HE institutions in the UK

Year of entry	Planned intake
1997	5,020
1998	5,062
1999	5,165
2000	5,595
2001	5,928

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Equal Opportunities

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the women's organisations which have been consulted over proposed legislation by her Department during (a) 2000–01 and (b) 2000–02 sessions; and if their responses have been published. [44387]

Mr. Bradshaw: The FCO consulted widely on the draft International Criminal Court Bill in 2000. Among others, the consultation document was sent to the Coalition for an ICC (which includes the Women's Caucus for Gender Issues and Sisterhood International) and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. There were no other cases in the years in question when women's organisations were consulted.

Special Advisers

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many special advisers were employed by him (a) between 1 May and 31 December 1997 and (b) in each year from 1998 to 2001 inclusive; and what the total amount spent on special advisers by the Department was in each of those years. [41250]

29 Apr 2002 : Column 579W

Mr. Bradshaw: The information is as follows:

(a) Two, at a cost of £51,647 in salary and pension contributions.

(b) Two.

1998: £79,090

1999: £93,259

2000: £132,733

Special adviser pay for 2001–02 is under review. Figures for 2001 will not be available until the work of the review has been completed.

Part-time Employees

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and what proportion of the staff of his Department are part-time employees. [47190]

Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 10 April 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, on 10 April 2002, Official Report, column 49W.

New Deal

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people employed by the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible under the New Deal for Young People in each of the last four years have subsequently (a) found unsubsidised employment for more than 13 weeks and (b) returned to jobseeker's allowance or other benefits. [49599]

Mr. Bradshaw: None of our non-departmental public bodies has employed anyone under the New Deal for Young People over the last four years.

Performance Targets

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the target has been in each of the last five years for efficiency savings as a

29 Apr 2002 : Column 580W

percentage of total running costs for each of the non- departmental public bodies for which he is responsible; and if the target was met. [49634]

Mr. MacShane: HM Treasury requires executive non-departmental public bodies to include this information in their annual reports. The annual reports for the British Association for Central and Eastern Europe, the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission, the British Council, the Great Britain-Russia Centre and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy are available in the House Library. The annual report for the Great Britain-China Centre will be placed in the Library shortly.

Intervention

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy on intervention in matters within the sovereign responsibility of foreign states. [50695]

Mr. MacShane: The Government believe that sovereignty entails responsibility. The international community has a shared responsibility to intervene when confronted with massive violations of international humanitarian law and crimes against humanity. Any such action should be carried out in accordance with international law.

Better Quality Services Initiative

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which of the services of his Department have not been reviewed under the Better Quality Services Initiative; and when they will be reviewed. [50317]

Mr. MacShane: My noble Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster informed Departments on 6 February that he had decided to discontinue the Better Quality Services (BQS) scheme.

Three BQS reviews, of consular services, security and training are still in progress. All are expected to be completed by this summer. In addition the following BQS reviews remained in the programme agreed between the FCO and the Cabinet Office:

Review	Scheduled
Personnel Management and Assessment Units	2002
Resource Management Group, FCO Services	2002
Personnel Services (excluding Superannuation) Personnel Command	2002
Personnel Policy, Personnel Command	2002
Prosper (Retirement Service)	2002
Crystal Print Services, FCO Services	2002
Conference & Visits Group, FCO Services	2002–03
Library & Information Services, FCO Services	2002
Logistical Services/Airfreight Contract	2003
Protocol (including Honours & Royal Matters)	2003
Information Services (Overseas & Home)	2003–04
Procurement (Purchasing, Global Procurement—including the Logistics contract, Workshops) FCO Services, Purchasing Directorate and small purchasing units	2003
Medical & Welfare, Personnel Command	2004
Information Technology (IT Strategy Unit/Information Systems Services/ IT Projects/IT Support/ Comcen/IT Training/ Engineering Services)	2004–05

29 Apr 2002 : Column 581W

The FCO is currently considering how best to conduct internal reviews of effectiveness in future, to provide assurance that high standards of performance, particularly in areas of customer focus and service delivery are achieved and maintained. Reviews of personnel and public diplomacy are already in hand.

Madagascar

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in Madagascar with regard to the prospects of avoiding conflict in that country. [52321]

Mr. MacShane [holding answer 26 April 2002]: We welcome the signature of the Dakar Accord on 18 April 2002 by President Didier Ratsiraka and presidential candidate Marc Ravalomanana. Both parties have agreed to form a transitional government of national unity, to work together through dialogue to find a sustainable solution and to bring to an end to the violence and the various blockades which have brought Madagascar to a virtual standstill. Both parties need to live up to this undertaking. We will continue, with our EU and international partners, to monitor developments.

Press Subscriptions

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the newspapers subscribed to (a) Monday to Saturday and (b) on Sunday by his Department, stating for each subscription (i) the number of copies taken, and (ii) the annual cost. [52839]

Mr. MacShane [holding answer 26 April 2002]: A list giving the requested information will be deposited in the Library of the House. The annual cost of newspapers supplied to the FCO is estimated at £78,147. This does not include the cost of newspapers supplied to overseas posts, which could be calculated only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the magazines and periodicals subscribed to by his Department, stating for each subscription (i) the number of copies taken, and (ii) the annual cost. [52840]

Mr. MacShane [holding answer 26 April 2002]: A complete list of magazines and periodicals supplied to the FCO as a whole could be compiled only at disproportionate cost. The total annual cost under the FCO's main contracts is estimated at £392,509.

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