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19 Sept 2002 : Column 224W—continued
Special Advisers
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the (a) dates, (b) location and (c) sources were of attributable (i) articles, interviews or contributions for the media, books or other journals and (ii) speeches or presentations made in the public domain, by departmental special advisers since March 2001; who in his Department authorised the activity; and on what date this activity was recorded with the departmental Head of Information. [72261]
Ms Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 24 July 2002, Official Report, column 1373W.
Criminal Courts Review
Keith Vaz: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the Central Council of Magistrates' response to the Criminal Courts Review. [73049]
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Ms Yvette Cooper: The Central Council of Magistrates' Courts Committees submitted a written response to Sir Robin Auld's Report, which is available on our website. Their views were considered along with the nearly 500 other responses received, many from individual magistrates and Magistrates' Courts Committees. This consideration helped form the Government's conclusions which were set out in the Criminal Justice White Paper "Justice for All", which was published on 17 July 2002.
CAFCASS
Simon Hughes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much money is owed within the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service; and (a) by and (b) to whom it is owed. [73224]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service's (CAFCASS) Accounts for 2001–02, show £4.3 million as being owed to creditors on 31 March 2002. The three largest amounts owed were to CAFCASS Guardians at £1,211,900, £1,706,700 for accommodation and £248,400 for staff related expenses. During 2001–02, CAFCASS paid 88 per cent. of all invoices within a 30-day period, during 2002–03 this has risen to well above 90 per cent.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Press Office
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) full time equivalents were employed by his press office and (b) secondees were placed in his press office in the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [70547]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 22 July 2002]: (a) The number of full-time officers working in the Foreign and Commonwealth Press Office (News Department) over the last 5 years was:
| 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | 23 | 20 | 19 | 29 |
| (3 slots vacant) | (4 slots vacant) |
(b) No records are kept of the number of short term secondees for the last five years.
Baroness Amos
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many meetings the Baroness Amos has had with hon. Members since 7 June 2001. [71592]
Mr. Straw: My noble Friend the Baroness Amos has had 59 meetings with hon. Members since 7 June 2001. This figure includes meetings with Ministers from other Government Departments, but does not include meetings with Peers or FCO Ministers.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visits abroad the Baroness Amos has made since 7 June 2001. [71593]
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Mr. Straw: My noble Friend the Baroness Amos has made 28 overseas visits since 7 June 2001.
Overseas Territories
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answers of 1 March 2002, Official Report, column 1639W, on overseas territories if he will make a further statement on (a) the Order in Council and (b) local legislation in (i) Bermuda, (ii) Gibraltar and (iii) the Cayman Islands. [72652]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Anti-terrorism (Financial and other Measures) (Overseas Territories) Order 2002 was laid before Parliament on 26 July and came into force on 1 August. The text of the Order has been sent to the Territories to which it extends (Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Montserrat, St Helena and Dependencies, Turks and Caicos Islands and the British Virgin Islands) and has been posted on the Stationery Office website. Copies have been sent also to Bermuda, Gibraltar and the Cayman Islands where the text will be used as a model for their own domestic legislation. Legislation is unlikely to be introduced in Bermuda before the House of Assembly rises for the summer. In Gibraltar drafting of local legislation is underway. Draft legislation for the Cayman Islands is being finalised.
Nice Treaty
Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what rules will apply to the Ambassador and staff of the British Embassy in Dublin during the forthcoming Irish referendum on the Nice Treaty; what guidelines will be issued on intervention in Irish public and political affairs (a) in the run up to and (b) during the referendum; and if he will make a statement. [72990]
Peter Hain: In accordance with normal practice, and Article 41 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961, the Ambassador and staff of the British Embassy in Dublin will make no intervention in Irish public and political affairs in connection with the forthcoming referendum on the Nice Treaty.
British Council
Mr. Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide support to the British Council to enable it to undertake its proposals to develop further its Connecting Futures programme. [73197]
Mr. Macshane: In his statement to the House on 15 July my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced increases of £5 million, £10 million and £20 million in the grant-in-aid for the British Council over the next three years; an average annual increase of 3.0 per cent. in real terms. This increase, on top of the 3.3 per cent. average annual increases after inflation in the 2000 Spending Review, will have increased the total grant funded activities of the British Council by nearly £50 million since 2000–01.
The additional funding will enable the Council to press ahead with a number of important initiatives, including its Connecting Futures Programme.
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Mr. Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide assistance to enable the British Council to open new regional centres in (a) Kaliningrad, (b) Banya Luka and (c) Sarajevo. [73194]
Mr. Macshane: The British Council has had an office in Sarajevo since 1994. In its recent Spending Review bid the British Council set out various proposals for increasing its activities, including opening regional centres in Kaliningrad and Banja Luka.
In his statement to the House on 15 July my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced increases of £5 million, £10 million and £20 million in the grant-in-aid for the British Council over the next three years, an average annual increase of 3.0 per cent. in real terms. This increase, on top of the 3.3 per cent. average annual increases after inflation in the 2000 Spending Review, will have increased the total grant funded activities of the British Council by nearly £50 million since 2000–01.
The additional funding will enable the Council to press ahead with a number of important initiatives. Decisions about the opening of new offices are expected in the autumn.
Cyprus
Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Tooting (Mr. Cox) of 16 July 2002, Official Report, column 178W, on Cyprus, if he will set out the framework of relevant Security Council resolutions and treaties to be considered in the comprehensive peace negotiation between the two communities in Cyprus; and if he will make a statement. [73021]
Peter Hain: UN Security Council Resolution 1250 (1999) sets the framework for the current talks for a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus. It calls upon the two leaders to commit themselves to the following principles:
— no preconditions;
— all issues on the table;
— commitment in good faith to continue to negotiate until a settlement is reached;
— full consideration of relevant United Nations resolutions and treaties.
Peter Hain: In order to accede to the EU, each candidate country must comply with the EU's accession criteria as set out by the Copenhagen European Council in 1993. In respect of the accession of Cyprus, the UK and EU position remains as set out in the Conclusions reached by the 1999 Helsinki European Council, which stated that:
"A political settlement will facilitate the accession of Cyprus to the European Union. If no settlement has been reached by the completion of accession negotiations, the
19 Sept 2002 : Column 228W
Council's decision on accession will be made without the above being a precondition. In this the Council will take account of all relevant factors."
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