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Victims of Torture
Mr. Borrow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the United Kingdom plans to mark UN International Day for Victims of Torture. [65240]
Mr. MacShane: On Wednesday 26 June, UN International Day in support of Victims of Torture, the FCO will launch phase 3 of the UK anti-Torture Initiative.
During the first two phases of the UK Anti-Torture Initiative, launched in October 1998 and December 2000 by the President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons, my right hon. Friend the Member for Livingston (Mr. Cook), the UK combined a global lobbying campaign for universal ratification of the UN Convention against Torture (at the time ratified by just over 50 per cent. of UN member states) with a number of practical measures, including the publication and distribution of 20,000 copies in seven languages of a handbook giving guidance on reporting instances of torture, financial support for the UN's work with torture victims and the secondment of a senior UK police officer to the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture.
Phase 3 will combine continued global lobbying with new practical steps. Since December 1998, 13 more countries have ratified the UN CAT. Our target is to secure another five ratifications by the end of 2003, bringing the total to 134 or 70 per cent. We will also be lobbying with EU partners for the adoption of the Draft Optional Protocol to the CAT. The Protocol is intended to help prevent torture by allowing both UN and independent national teams the right to inspect places of detention in signatory countries.
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New practical measures for Phase 3 will include:
- A new publication on judicial safeguards to provide judiciary and law makers worldwide with examples of best practice regarding judicial control of torture;
Support for the African Commission on Human Rights Special Rapporteur on Prisons in particular her monitoring role of prison conditions with regard to the prevention of torture;
Establishment of a visiting programme to UK for senior clinicians who work in countries where the practice of torture is widespread for work placements with leading NGOs involved in torture rehabilitation; and
The FCO will also continue to provide financial support of £175,000 per year to the UN Voluntary Fund for the victims of torture which provides urgent medical and legal support worldwide.
Phase 3 will be the last stage of activity. After this, to consolidate efforts of the past three years to combat torture, the FCO is planning to mainstream torture work within the FCO's general Human Rights mandate and set up a panel of experts to advise on future strategy.
Chagos Archipelago
Mr. Borrow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans have been made for the Chagossians to visit the Chagos Archipelago. [65241]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Government of the British Indian Ocean Territory is organising and paying for the charter of a ship to take about 100 Chagossians to the outer islands of the Chagos Archipelago to visit ancestral graves. Subject to agreement with the representatives of those concerned, the ship—the M/S Mauritius Trochetia—will depart from Port Louis on 5 October and will visit the islands of Peros Banhos and Salomon. It is expected to return on 17 October. The British high commissions in Mauritius and Seychelles are in contact with the leaders of the various Chagossian groups and are inviting them to draw up a jointly agreed list of passengers.
PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL
Ministerial Salaries
Mr. Bercow: To ask the President of the Council what the annual cost was of ministerial salaries in his Department in (a) 1997–98 and (b) 2001–02. [60933]
Mr. Robin Cook: The level of ministerial salaries is recommended by the Senior Salaries Review Body. From May 1997, in this Department there were two Cabinet Ministers, with a total annual salary £125,308. From June 2001, there was one Cabinet Minister, at an annual salary of £68,157 and one Parliamentary Secretary, at an annual salary of £26,835.
Annual Leave
Mr. Bercow: To ask the President of the Council what the average annual leave entitlement is for staff in his Department in 2002. [64645]
Mr. Robin Cook: In my Department, staff with less than 10 years service are entitled to 25 days annual leave each year; staff with 10 years or more service are entitled to 30 days. Annual leave entitlement for members of the senior civil service is currently set by the Cabinet Office at 30 days.
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CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Departmental Grants
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which organisations which were in receipt of a grant from her in 1997–98 no longer are; what the annual saving is; which organisations which were not in receipt of a grant in 1997–98 now are; and what the annual cost is. [61397]
Dr. Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury to the hon. Member on 17 June 2002, Official Report, columns 136–37W.
Golden Jubilee
Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the members of the Ministerial Group for the Golden Jubilee. [64214]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 24 June 2002]: The membership of this group, which I chair, is being adjusted to reflect the recent changes of ministerial responsibilities. The previous membership was as follows:
- President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions
Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office
Secretary of State, Wales Office
Secretary of State, Scotland Office
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
Secretary of State for Education and Skills
Minister for Sport, Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Minister of State, Cabinet Office
Financial Secretary, HM Treasury
Minister of State for the Armed Forces
Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department
Parliamentary-Under-Secretary, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Parliamentary Secretary, Home Office
Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Work and Pensions
First Minister, Scottish Executive
First Minister, National Assembly for Wales
Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure, Northern Ireland Executive
Private Secretary to Her Majesty the Queen
The Mayor of London
Head of the Golden Jubilee Office.
Licensing (Live Music)
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to reform the two in a bar system; and if she will make a statement. [62777]
Dr. Howells: Our plans for the modernisation of the licensing regimes were set out clearly in the White Paper "Time for Reform" (Cm.4696) published on 10 April 2000. We proposed that the current exemption from public entertainment that allows two musicians to perform live in premises licensed for the sale of alcohol should end. This is because one or two live musicians using powerful microphones and amplifiers can make more noise and so generate more nuisance for local residents than three without. Alcohol and public entertainment
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licensing will be integrated into a single scheme. This will remove at a stroke a considerable amount of existing red tape and reduce the licensing costs which currently deter many venues from providing live music and dancing. The reforms will be implemented by means of primary legislation to be brought forward as soon as parliamentary time permits.
Independent Television Production
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if she will make a statement of the value to the economy of the independent television production sector in the United Kingdom; [64570]
- (2) if the proportion of programmes required to be sourced from the independent production sector is based upon that sector's estimated contribution to creativity in UK television. [64569]
Dr. Howells: Independent productions are an important component of the television landscape in the United Kingdom. The 25 per cent. independent productions quota, set out in the Broadcasting Act 1990, has helped maintain the diversity of British television, supported the development of creative and technical skills and helped create a thriving and innovative production industry—total expenditure by UK broadcasters on independent programming was around £750 million in 1999. We want this to continue to develop and have therefore retained the obligations in the recently published draft Communications Bill (Cm 5508-I).
Film Council
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what were the total employment costs of staff employed by the Film Council in each year of its operation; [64572]
- (2) how many staff are employed in each department of the Film Council. [64573]
Dr. Howells: The total employment costs of staff employed by the Film Council for each full year of the Film Council's existence, building up from its foundation as a new organisation, are:
- 2000–01: £2,461,000
2001–02: £3,739,000.
In addition, the Film Council has taken on extra work such as statistical evidence gathering, called for by the Government's Film Policy Review, and the UK Media Desk.
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- (2) what the total employment costs were of consultants employed by the Film Council in each year of its operation. [64571]
Dr. Howells: In 2000–01, the Film Council's first full year of operation, £526,289.55p or 0.8 per cent. of turnover was spent on employing consultants. In 2001–02, £897,423.18p or 1.4 per cent. of turnover was spent on consultants. In 2000–01, 30 consultants were employed. Of the 30 consultants in total employed, 17 were paid less than £10,000 and 22 were paid less than £20,000.
In 2001–02, the Film Council employed 46 consultants. Of the 47 consultants in total employed, 25 were paid less than £10,000 and 29 were paid less than £20,000.
The consultants were employed to help set up the new organisation's infrastructure and to inform the development of its new strategy. They worked on a wide range of specific projects, including areas of strategic development, training, monitoring, cultural diversity and development of European policy.
It is not possible to state the number of hours for which the consultants were employed.
These figures exclude the cost of legal advice, corporate print and design, and internal and external auditing advice.
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the films for which it has been a condition of a grant made by the Film Council that a member of their staff receive a personal credit on the film. [64581]
Dr. Howells:
The list of films for which it has been a condition of a grant made by the Film Council that a member of their staff receive a personal credit on the film is shown in the following list. This list comprises feature film projects where an offer has been accepted and has not lapsed. The credits reflect the roles played by Film Council staff in creative development, structuring of finance (in addition to Film Council investment) safeguarding finance, creative roles undertaken during production and post-production and advice given during the marketing and distribution processes.
New Cinema Fund titles:
Anita and Me
Ape
Bloody Sunday
Body Song
Emotional Backgammon
Entering Blue Zone
Helen of Peckham
Hoover Street Revival
Live Forever
Magdalene
Noi the Albino
Once upon a Time in the Midlands
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Revengers Tragedy
Tomorrow La Scala (aka Sweeney)
The Wooden Camera
This is Not a Love Song
Premiere Fund titles:
Braids, Twists and Tales
Five Children and It
Gosford Park
L'Homme du Train
Miranda
Mike Bassett, England Manager
The Importance of Being Earnest
Water Warriors
Young Adam.
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