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NORTHERN IRELAND
Military Complaints Procedures Report
Mr. Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he intends to lay before Parliament the ninth annual report of the Independent Assessor of Military Complaints Procedures in Northern Ireland. [63657]
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Dr. John Reid: I have today arranged for copies of Jim McDonald's annual report for 2001 to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
The Report of the Independent Assessor continues to provide valuable reassurances to both the public and the Government that the Army's complaints procedures stand scrutiny. I welcome Mr. McDonald's report and I shall consider it further.
SOLICITOR-GENERAL
Electronic Case Management
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Solicitor-General if the new electronic case management application will be operational in 2003; and if this application is compatible with other systems in the criminal justice system. [59346]
The Solicitor-General [holding answer 12 June 2002]: The development of the Compass initial case management system is on track to be operational in 2003. Roll out of the initial system is scheduled to begin in April 2003 and be completed by December 2003. This will include replacing the four different systems currently used by the CPS. The full case management system is due for roll out by December 2005.
The Compass initial case management system will provide compatibility with other criminal justice systems with specific electronic interfaces to police force systems and via e-mail, to the courts, Prison Service, Probation Service, as well as printed forms to victims and witnesses.
PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL
Departmental Expenditure Limit
Mr. Bercow: To ask the President of the Council how much and what proportion of the departmental expenditure limit for 2002–03 will be accounted for by staff costs; what the figures were for 2001–02; and if he will make a statement. [61036]
Mr. Robin Cook: My Department anticipates that for 2002–03 £1.5 million will be accounted for by staff costs; this is approximately one third of the departmental expenditure limit. The equivalent figure for 2001–02 was £1.4 million: the proportion was again approximately one third of the departmental expenditure limit.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the President of the Council how much and what proportion of the departmental expenditure limit for 2002–03 had been spent by 31 May; what the figures were for 2001–02; and if he will make a statement. [61008]
Mr. Robin Cook: I refer to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 17 June 2002, Official Report, column 130W.
Computers
Dr. Kumar: To ask the President of the Council how many computers were replaced in his Department in each of the past three years; how the replaced units were disposed of and by which companies; and at what cost. [60728]
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Mr. Robin Cook: My Department is covered by a contract which is outsourced by the Cabinet Office. The equipment is leased from a service provider (Compaq) who are responsible for replacing all the computers every three years and for their disposal.
The total cost of this service is £135,000 for the year 2002–03. My Department has 54 computers covered by the contract, of which two are lap-tops.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Mr. Sheikh
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 30 April 2002, Official Report, column 649W, whether the Pakistan authorities have responded to the Government's request for information on Mr. Sheikh's detention; and if he will make a statement. [62019]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: As the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Bradshaw), explained on 20 May, we have not yet received a substantive response from the Pakistani authorities to our requests for information. Senior officials at our high commission are pursuing this with their Pakistani counterparts.
Kashmir
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in China concerning strategies for securing a resolution of the dispute over the future status of Kashmir. [62051]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary telephoned his Chinese opposite number on 11 May to discuss India/Pakistan.
Joint Entry Clearance Unit
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of his Department's staff are employed in the joint entry clearance unit. [62190]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office currently have 42 staff working in UK visas (formerly JECU). In addition the Home Office currently have 32 staff members seconded to UK visas. These details include part-time staff and job sharers.
Entry Clearance
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visitor visa applications were made on 11 June in (a) Mumbai, (b) New Delhi and (c) Islamabad. [62193]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The number of visitor applications received in Mumbai, New Delhi and Islamabad on 11 June were as follows:
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Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many immigration officers were on duty in (a) Mumbai, (b) New Delhi and (c) Islamabad on 11 June. [62192]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: On 11 June, Mumbai with four UK based entry clearance staff and New Delhi with five UK based entry clearance staff were operating a restricted service providing for settlement applications, urgent medical and compassionate cases and drop-box applications for limited categories of travellers (including previous visitors and returning residents).
Islamabad had four UK based entry clearance staff engaged on visa work. Two others were deployed elsewhere to assist with urgent consular and evacuation matters, and two were on leave. Islamabad were operating a very limited service, accepting applications through Fedex from returning residents and urgent medical and compassionate cases, including settlement and family visit applications in these categories.
Committee Mandates
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the mandate of the EC-United States of America Joint Committee is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if he will list the items currently under its consideration; if he will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [61728]
Peter Hain: There is no single EU-US joint committee, but separate joint committees on science and technology, and on education. The joint committee on science and technology met once in 2001. The joint committee on education last met in 1999. In response to the rest of this question, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him to a series of questions on 10 June 2002, Official Report, column 834W.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the mandate of the EC-Canada Joint Committee is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if he will list the items currently under its consideration; if he will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [61729]
Peter Hain: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 10 June 2002, Official Report, column 834–35W.
Turkmenistan
Mr. David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Turkmen authorities concerning the renewed persecution of Christians in Turkmenistan. [62787]
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Mr. Mike O'Brien: The UK, with the EU and the US uses every opportunity to raise cases of religious persecution with the Turkmen Government. Our ambassador, together with EU and US ambassadors called on the Foreign Minister in February, May, July and December 2001 to protest at the continued imprisonment of a senior Baptist and to call for his release on humanitarian grounds. The prisoner was released two weeks after the December meeting. Our ambassador has also recently requested a meeting with the Turkmen Foreign Minister to discuss religious persecution and other issues.
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